High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation
- A non-invasive technique that uses a beam generated by a piezoelectric ultrasound transducer propagates through tissue as a high-frequency (0.5-4 MHz) pressure wave.
- Each treatment volume is approximately 0.8 × 0.2 × 0.2 cm3.
- Mechanism
- The energy from the beam raises the temperature of the focused area to 60-95 °C within a few seconds without causing damage to the adjacent tissues → very localized protein denaturation and coagulative necrosis.
- Integrated with either MRI or ultrasound imaging in order to plan treatment and monitor response in real time.
- MRI
- Advantage
- Excellent anatomical resolution
- High sensitivity for lesion detection
- Disadvantage
- Temperature mapping is challenging;
- Ultrasonography
- Advantage
- Real-time visualization of the targeted volume (compensates for movement)
- Guidance of energy deposition within the treated area through a hyper-echogenic cross visible during pulse application.
- Provides a rapid real-time assessment of the volume of coagulative necrosis/temperature during treatment by visualization of a hyper-echogenic spot on the screen.
- Disadvantage
- Poor anatomical resolution
- Advantage
- A completely non-invasive therapy → avoiding potential complications associated with general anaesthesia and surgery.
- Used for the treatment of liver, kidney, prostate, brain, bone and breast cancer.
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