Myonecrosis following deep pelvic hyperthermia

A case report is presented in which severe myonecrosis of the inferior anterior abdominal wall followed treatment of a recurrent pelvic tumour with an annular phased array (AA) deep heating device. This unusual complication has not been observed at this institution in 107 patients previously treated with deep pelvic or abdominal hyperthermia, who had undergone a total of 368 hyperthermia sessions. The injury was confirmed radiographically and histopathologically, and was associated with serum enzymatic elevations characteristic of muscular injury. The implications for clinical trials employing the AA or similar devices are discussed.