A new management strategy for renal angiomyolipomas: superselective arterial embolization in combination with radiofrequency ablation

Background: The present study analyzed the safety and efficacy of superselective arterial embolization (SAE) combined with radiofrequency ablation (RFA) to treat renal angiomyolipoma (RAML). Methods: This retrospective study included the clinical data of 6 patients with RAML treated between March 2016 and October 2017. All patients underwent RFA treatment immediately after SAE guided by angio-computed tomography (angio-CT). The tumor size, renal function and complications, and time to recurrence were compared before and after treatment. Results: The success rate of the SAE + RFA technique was 100%, and no serious complications were found during or after surgery. After treatment, the patients’ symptoms, including low back pain and hematuria, were relieved. The pre-treatment creatinine level (55.6±11.0 μmol/L) did not differ significantly from the post-treatment creatinine level (68.2±13.7 μmol/L), which was measured 1 day after surgery (t=1.75, P=0.109). The mean follow-up time was 29.5±6.1 months. By the end of the follow-up period, the maximum diameter of the tumor was 3.1±0.6 cm, which was significantly smaller than the pre-treatment diameter of 5.9±1.01 cm (t=5.83, P Conclusions: SAE combined with RFA is a safe and effective treatment for RAML, and its strengths qualify it to become a new treatment strategy for RAML.