[Ultrasound interstitial mini invasive probes for thermal ablation in liver: feasibility study in vivo]

High intensity ultrasounds are routinely used for thermal ablation of some cancers. However, for treating hepatic tumours with physical agents, RF applicators and cryoprobes are still preferred. The goal of the present study was to demonstrate the feasibility of using interstitial ultrasound probes in liver following two approaches: percutaneous and intra-tissular or endo vascular. In vivo trials on a porcine model demonstrated the minimally invasive nature of both procedures. Homogeneous and reproducible thermal lesions, up to 20 mm deep, were obtained. The work on these two original approaches deserves to be completed with more extended prospective studies. The association with an imaging method will have to be studied before proceeding to clinical trials.