Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 21, 2026
Development and Angiographic Use of the Rabbit VX2 Model for Liver Cancer
Published on: January 7, 2019
Intraprocedural diffusion-weighted PROPELLER MRI to guide percutaneous biopsy needle placement within rabbit VX2
Jie Deng1, Sumeet Virmani, Guang-Yu Yang
1Department of Radiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA.
Purpose:
To test the hypothesis that diffusion-weighted (DW)-PROPELLER (periodically rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced reconstruction) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to guide biopsy needle placement during percutaneous interventional procedures to selectively target viable and necrotic tissues within VX2 rabbit liver tumors.
Materials And Methods:
Our institutional Animal Care and Use Committee approved all experiments. In six rabbits implanted with 15 VX2 liver tumors, baseline DW-PROPELLER images acquired prior to the interventional procedure were used for apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements. Next, intraprocedural DW-PROPELLER scans were performed with needle position iteratively adjusted to target viable, necrotic, or intermediate border tissue regions. DW-PROPELLER ADC measurements at the selected needle tip locations were compared with the percentage of tumor necrosis qualitatively assessed at histopathology.
Results:
DW-PROPELLER images demonstrated intratumoral tissue heterogeneity and clearly depicted the needle tip position within viable and necrotic tumor tissues. Mean ADC measurements within the region-of-interest encompassing the needle tip were highly correlated with histopathologic tumor necrotic tissue assessments.
Conclusion:
DW-PROPELLER is an effective method to selectively position the biopsy needle tip within viable and necrotic tumor tissues. The DW-PROPELLER method may offer an important complementary tool for functional guidance during MR-guided percutaneous procedures.
Insights
Diffusion-weighted PROPELLER MRI effectively guides biopsy needles to target specific tumor tissues. This technique accurately differentiates viable and necrotic regions in liver tumors, aiding percutaneous procedures.
Area of Science:
- Medical Imaging
- Oncology
- Interventional Radiology
Background:
- Percutaneous interventional procedures require precise targeting of tumor tissues.
- Differentiating viable from necrotic tumor regions is crucial for effective treatment and biopsy.
- Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) offers functional information about tissue characteristics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of diffusion-weighted periodically rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced reconstruction (DW-PROPELLER) MRI in guiding biopsy needle placement.
- To determine if DW-PROPELLER can selectively target viable and necrotic tissues within VX2 rabbit liver tumors.
- To assess the correlation between DW-PROPELLER apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements and histopathological tumor necrosis.
Main Methods:
- Six rabbits with VX2 liver tumors underwent DW-PROPELLER MRI.
- Baseline and intraprocedural scans were performed to measure ADC values.
- Needle position was iteratively adjusted to target different tissue types (viable, necrotic, intermediate).
- Histopathology was used to assess the percentage of tumor necrosis at the needle tip location.
Main Results:
- DW-PROPELLER MRI clearly visualized intratumoral heterogeneity and needle tip position.
- Mean ADC measurements at the needle tip showed a strong correlation with histopathologically assessed tumor necrosis.
- The technique successfully guided the needle to target viable and necrotic tumor tissues.
Conclusions:
- DW-PROPELLER MRI is an effective method for precise biopsy needle placement in liver tumors.
- This technique allows selective targeting of viable and necrotic tumor tissues.
- DW-PROPELLER may serve as a valuable tool for functional guidance in MR-guided percutaneous procedures.
More Related Videos
08:16X-ray Visualization of Intraductal Ethanol-based Ablative Infusion for Prevention of Breast Cancer in Rabbit Models
Published on: September 12, 2025
06:08A Cognitive Fusion-guided Prostate Biopsy Using Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Transrectal Ultrasound
Published on: March 21, 2025