Search

Objective: MRI-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy (MRgLITT) has recently gained interest as an ablative stereotactic procedure for intractable epilepsy, movement disorders, and brain tumors. Conventionally, a LITT system consists of a laser generator and cooled laser applicator, which is a fiber optic core surrounded by a sheath through which cooled fluid is pumped. However, this footprint can make the system bulky and nonmobile, limit the maximum depth of targeting, and increase the chances of breakdown. Herein, the authors conduct a preclinical assessment of a noncooled MRgLITT system in a porcine model., Methods: Three-tesla MRI was used to guide the in vivo placement of noncooled laser applicators in the porcine brain. The study consisted of a survival arm and terminal arm. The laser was activated at a power of 4-7 W for ≤ 180 seconds. Temperature changes were monitored using the MR thermometry software ThermoGuide in the survival arm (n = 5) or both ThermoGuide software and adjacently inserted thermal probes in the terminal arm (n = 3). Thermal damage was determined by the software using the temperature-time relationship of cumulative equivalent minutes at 43°C (CEM43). Temperatures calculated by the software were compared with those recorded by the temperature probes. The dimensions of thermal damage thresholds (TDTs; 2-9, 10-59, 60-239, ≥ 240 CEM43 isolines) given by MR thermometry were compared with the dimensions of irreversible damage on histopathological analysis., Results: There was a strong correlation between temperature recordings by ThermoGuide and those by thermal probes at both 4 mm (r = 0.96) and 8 mm (r = 0.80), with a mean absolute error of 0.76°C ± 2.13°C and 0.17°C ± 1.65°C at 4 and 8 mm, respectively. The area of 2-9 CEM43 was larger than the area of irreversible damage seen on histopathological analysis. The dimensions of the 10 and 60 CEM43 correlated well with dimensions of the lesion on histopathological analysis. A well-defined border (≤ 1 mm) was observed between the area of irreversible damage and healthy brain tissue., Conclusions: This preclinical assessment showed that the noncooled LITT system was able to precisely reach the target and create well-defined lesions within a margin of safety, without any adverse effects. MR thermometry software provided an accurate near-real-time temperature of the brain tissue, and dimensions of the lesion as visualized by the software correlated well with histopathological findings. Further studies to test the system's efficacy and safety in human subjects are in progress.

Alternative minimally invasive treatment options such as radiofrequency ablation (RFA) or laser-induced thermotherapy (LITT) are at present under investigation for achieving a nonsurgical targeted cytoreduction in benign and malignant thyroid lesions. So far, studies have not been able to show a secure advantage for neither LITT nor RFA. The aim of this study was to compare the two ablation procedures in terms of their effectiveness. Thermal lesions were induced in porcine thyroid glands either by LITT or bipolar RFA ex vivo (n = 110 each) and in vivo (n = 10 each) using power settings between 10 and 20 W. Temperature spread during application was documented in 5- and 10-mm distance of the applicator. Postinterventional lesion diameters were measured and lesion size was calculated. Furthermore, enzyme histochemical analysis of the thyroid tissue was performed in vivo. Lesion volumes induced by LITT ranged between 0.74 ± 0.18 cm(3) (10 W) and 3.80 ± 0.41 cm(3) (20 W) with a maximum of 5.13 ± 0.16 cm(3) at 18 W. The inducible lesion volumes by RFA were between 2.43 ± 0.68 cm(3) (10 W) and 0.91 ± 0.71 cm(3) (20 W) with a maximum of 2.80 ± 0.85 cm(3) at 14 W. The maximum temperatures were 112.9 ± 9.2°C (LITT) and 61.6 ± 13.9°C (RFA) at a distance of 5 mm and 73.2 ± 6.7°C (LITT) and 53.5 ± 8.6°C (RFA) at a distance of 10 mm. The histochemical analysis demonstrates a complete loss of NADPH dehydrogenase activity in thermal lesions as a sign of irreversible cell damage both for LITT and RFA. This study is the first to compare the effectiveness of laser-induced thermotherapy and radiofrequency ablation of thyroid tissue. LITT as well as RFA are suitable for singular thyroid nodules and induces reproducible clinically relevant lesions in an appropriate application time. The maximum inducible lesion volumes by LITT are significantly larger than by RFA with the devices used herein.

Background and Objective: The prevalence of thyroid nodules ranges between 2% and 60% depending on the population studied. However, minimally invasive procedures like laser-induced thermotherapy (LITT) are increasingly used to treat tumors of parenchymatous organs and seem to be suitable for singular thyroid nodules as well. Their successful clinical application depends on the induction of sufficiently large lesions and a knowledge of the energy parameters required for complete thermal ablation. The aim of this study was to establish a dose-response relationship for LITT of thyroid nodules., Materials and Methods: Thermal lesions were induced in healthy porcine thyroid glands ex vivo (n = 110) and in vivo (n = 10) using an Nd:YAG laser (1,064 nm). Laser energy was applied for 300 seconds in a power range of 10-20 W. During the ablation, continuous temperature measurement at a distance of 5 and 10 mm from the applicator was performed. The lesions were longitudinally and transversally measured, and the volume was calculated. Furthermore, enzyme histochemical analysis of the thyroid tissue was performed., Results: The maximum inducible lesion volumes were between 0.74 +/- 0.18 cm(3) at a laser power of 10 W and 3.80 +/- 0.41 cm(3) at 20 W. The maximum temperatures after ablation were between 72.9 +/- 2.9 degrees C (10 W) and 112.9 +/- 9.2 degrees C (20 W) at a distance of 5 mm and between 49.5 +/- 2.2 degrees C (10 W) and 73.2 +/- 6.7 degrees C (20 W) at a distance of 10 mm from the applicator. The histochemical analysis demonstrates a complete loss of NADPH dehydrogenase activity in thermal lesions as a sign of irreversible cell damage., Conclusions: This study is the first to demonstrate a dose-response relationship for LITT of thyroid tissue. LITT is suitable for singular thyroid nodules and induces reproducible clinically relevant lesions with irreversible cell damage in an appropriate application time.

Thermal ablation techniques like radiofrequency or laser-induced thermotherapy (LITT) are increasingly used to treat tumors of parenchymatous organs. Minimal access, parenchymal preservation, and a low complication rate render them suitable for pulmonary tumors as well. Their successful clinical application depends on the induction of sufficiently large lesions and a knowledge of the energy parameters required for complete thermal ablation. The aim of this study was to establish a dose-response relationship for a percutaneous and an intraoperative system for LITT of lung tissue. Thermal lesions were induced in healthy porcine lungs using an Nd:YAG laser (1,064 nm). LITT was performed with a percutaneous application system in group I (n = 18) and an intraoperative application system in group II (n = 90). Laser energy was applied for 600-1,200 s in a power range of 20-32 W (12,000-38,400 J). The lesions were longitudinally and transversally measured, and the volume was calculated after the intervention. Furthermore, an open application system was used to perform LITT under in vivo conditions during lung perfusion and ventilation in domestic pigs. Lesion volumes in both groups showed a plateau-like curve when the laser power increased from an initial level of 25 W. With the percutaneous puncture system (group I), the application of 28 W (16,800 J) for 10 min generated the largest lesions with a volume of 12.54 +/- 1.33 cm(3), an axial diameter of 39.33 +/- 2.52 mm, and a diametrical diameter of 24.67 +/- 1.15 mm. A longer application time was not possible due to thermal instability of the applicator. Moreover, group I started developing extensive carbonizations at a laser power of 22 W (13,200 J). The intraoperative application system (group II) achieved the largest lesion volumes of 11.03 +/- 2.54 cm(3) with diameters of 34.6 +/- 4.22 mm (axial) and 25.6 +/- 2.51 mm (diametrical) by an exposure time of 20 min and a power of 32 W (38,400 J). Here extensive carbonizations only started to occur at 28 W (33,600 J). Under in vivo conditions, all pigs tolerated the LITT procedure well without complications. Besides a typical cooling effect in the vicinity of blood vessels, the thermal lesions were about three times smaller than the ex vivo lesions. Both the percutaneous and the open LITT application system induced reproducible, clinically relevant lung lesions. The percutaneous puncture set generated large relevant lesions, although its usability is limited by its restricted capacity and high carbonization risk. It is suitable for powers up to 22 W. The intraoperative application system allows higher energy exposure to induce larger lesion volumes. This study elucidates the dose-effect relation of two clinically relevant puncture sets.

Purpose: To assess the effect of laser-induced thermotherapy (LITT) on liver metastases of various size from colon carcinoma in an animal model., Materials and Methods: Liver metastases were implanted in 20 Wistar Albino Glaxo (WAG) rats by subcapsular injection of cells from a colorectal strain (CC531) (day 0). The animals were divided into two groups with regard to the measured tumor size of 0.05 - 0.06 cm (3) (group A) and 0.10 - 0.12 cm (3) (group B). On day 14 after laparotomy, the tumors were exposed to 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser light at 2 watts for 5 minutes after intratumoral placement of the laser applicator set. The tumor volumes before (V1, at day 13) and after treatment (V2, at day 28) were determined by MRI and the mean tumor growth ratio (V2/V1) was calculated., Results: The mean tumor volumes V1 and V2 were 0.05 +/- 0.003 cm (3) and 0.23 +/- 0.016 cm (3) in group A, and 0.11 +/- 0.006 cm (3) and 0.68 +/- 0.037 cm (3) in group B. The mean tumor growth ratio (V2/V1) was 4.31 +/- 0.19 in group A and 6.11 +/- 0.14 in group B. The mean volume of the induced necrosis (0.15 +/- 0.01 cm (3)) was the same for both groups ( p > 0.05). Compared to group B, liver metastases of group A showed a significant slower tumor growth velocity (paired t-test, p < 0.0001)., Conclusion: The interventional treatment of large hepatic tumors with LITT leads to faster tumor growth compared to smaller lesions.

The laser is a well established surgical instrument in lung therapy. This report provides information on the biophysical basics of the laser-induced thermotherapy (LITT) of lung metastases. Optical properties like absorption and scattering determine the penetration depth of laser radiation in tissue. These parameters vary dynamically during the application and define in combination with thermal tissue properties the achievable destruction volume. Parenchyma behaves very differently compared to more dense tissues due to local inhomogenities and the large amount cavaties filled with air. Beside an account of the affecting parameters an overview of therapy options is given. Therapeutic results depend not only on the tissue properties but also on the technical equipment, e.g. the applicator design and the energy applied. Complex dosimetric models allow for a calculation of the lesion's size in advance.