Percutaneous Imaging-Guided Cryoablation of Liver Tumors: Predicting Local Progression on 24-Hour MRI

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to determine which MRI features observed 24 hours after technically successful percutaneous cryoablation of liver tumors predict subsequent local tumor progression and to describe the evolution of imaging findings after cryoablation. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Thirty-nine adult patients underwent technically successful imaging-guided percutaneous cryoablation of 54 liver tumors (hepatocellular carcinoma, 8; metastases, 46). MRI features pertaining to the tumor, ablation margin, and surrounding liver 24 hours after treatment were assessed independently by two readers. Fisher exact or Wilcoxon rank sum tests (significant p values < 0.05) were used to compare imaging features in patients with and without subsequent local tumor progression. Imaging features of the ablation margin, treated tumor, and surrounding liver were evaluated on serial MRI in the following year. RESULTS. A minimum ablation margin of 3 mm or less was observed in 11 (78.6%) of 14 tumors with and 15 of ...