Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39789263›Full record

ArticleCardiovascular and interventional radiology2025

Bolus-Tracked Biphasic Contrast-Enhanced CT Imaging Following Microwave Liver Ablation Improves Ablation Zone Conspicuity and Semi-automatic Segmentation Quality.

Louise Giansante, Ed McDonagh, Jodie Basso, Arafat Haris, Sajjan Kc, Samuel J Withey, Joshua Shur, Nicos Fotiadis, S Nahum Goldberg, Edward W Johnston

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cardiovascular and interventional radiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Louise GiansanteJoint Dept. of Physics, The Royal Marsden, 203 Fulham Road, London, SW36JJ, UK.
Ed McDonaghJoint Dept. of Physics, The Royal Marsden, 203 Fulham Road, London, SW36JJ, UK.
Jodie BassoInterventional Radiology, The Royal Marsden, 203 Fulham Road, London, SW36JJ, UK.
Arafat HarisInterventional Radiology, The Royal Marsden, 203 Fulham Road, London, SW36JJ, UK.
Sajjan KcInterventional Radiology, The Royal Marsden, 203 Fulham Road, London, SW36JJ, UK.
Samuel J WitheyDiagnostic Radiology, The Royal Marsden, 203 Fulham Road, London, SW36JJ, UK.
Joshua ShurDiagnostic Radiology, The Royal Marsden, 203 Fulham Road, London, SW36JJ, UK.
Nicos FotiadisInterventional Radiology, The Royal Marsden, 203 Fulham Road, London, SW36JJ, UK.
S Nahum GoldbergHadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Ein Karem, Jerusalem, Israel.
Edward W JohnstonInterventional Radiology, The Royal Marsden, 203 Fulham Road, London, SW36JJ, UK. Ed.Johnston@rmh.nhs.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8504-2968

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeContrast-enhanced CT (CECT) may be performed immediately following microwave liver ablation for assessment of ablative margins. However, practices and protocols vary among institutions. Here, we compare a standardized bolus-tracked biphasic CECT protocol and compare this with a single venous phase fixed delay protocol for ablation zone (AZ) assessment.

methodsAn institutional review board approved study performed at a specialist cancer centre. A prospective cohort of patients undergoing bolus-tracked biphasic imaging was compared with a retrospective cohort of patients who underwent fixed delay venous phase imaging. AZ conspicuity and segmentation quality were semi-quantitatively scored using Five-point Likert scales. Time between ablation and image acquisition was recorded for each AZ and was correlated to AZ conspicuity and segmentation quality.

resultsForty patients, median age 59 years (IQR 48-66 years), 24 men, underwent microwave ablation of 68 liver tumours. AZ conspicuity was higher in the bolus-tracked (n = 33) vs. fixed delay (n = 35) cohorts, 4.5 vs. 2.5, P < 0.0001. Commensurate segmentation quality was also higher, 5.0 vs. 3.0 respectively, P < 0.0001. Ordinal regression showed that image quality scores declined by 3-4% for each minute that passes after ablation, particularly for arterial phase images, where regression coefficients were - 0.04, P = 0.007, and -0.03, P = 0.012 for conspicuity and segmentation quality, respectively.

conclusionBolus-tracked biphasic contrast-enhanced CT protocols improve both conspicuity and semi-automatic segmentation quality of microwave liver ablation zones, particularly if imaged soon after ablation. EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE: Level 2b; exploratory prospective cohort study.

Indexed as

Ablation TechniquesCarcinoma, HepatocellularContrast MediaLiver NeoplasmsMicrowavesTomography, X-Ray ComputedAgedFemaleHumansLiverMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesRetrospective StudiesContrast MediaAblation techniquesImage enhancementLiverTomographyX-Ray Computed

Identifiers

PMID39789263
PMCPMC12053197

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.