Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 14, 2026
Treatment of Liver Metastases Using an Internal Target Volume Method for Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy
Published on: May 8, 2018
MR-guided liver tumor ablation employing open high-field 1.0T MRI for image-guided brachytherapy
Jens Ricke1, Markus Thormann, Matthias Ludewig
1Klinik für Radiologie und Nuklearmedizin, Universitätsklinikum Magdeburg AöR, Magdeburg, Germany. jens.ricke@med.ovgu.de
Objective:
To determine the feasibility and safety of image-guided brachytherapy employing a modified open high-field MR system.
Methods:
This is a follow-up study of a development project enabling technologies for interventional use of 1.0T open MRI. Modifications included coils and in-bore visualization, fluoroscopic sequences and user interfaces. We recruited 104 patients with 224 liver malignancies to receive MR-guided brachytherapy. Interventions were performed >20 min after Gd-EOB-DTPA. We recorded interventional parameters including the intervention time (from acquisition of the first scout until the final sequence for brachytherapy treatment planning). Two reviewers assessed MR-fluoroscopic images in comparison to plain CT as used in CT intervention, applying a rating scale of 1-10. Statistical analysis included Friedman and Kendall's W tests.
Results:
We employed freehand puncture with interactive dynamic imaging for navigation. Technical success rate was 218 complete ablations in 224 tumours (97%). The median intervention time was 61 min. We recorded no adverse events related to the use of MRI. No major complications occurred. The rate of minor complications was 4%. Local control at 3 months was 96%. Superiority of MR-fluoroscopic, Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced images over plain CT was highly significant (P < 0.001).
Conclusion:
MR-guided brachytherapy employing open high-field MRI is feasible and safe.
