Feasibility of a Modified Biopsy Needle for Irreversible Electroporation Ablation and Periprocedural Tissue Sampling

To test the feasibility of modified biopsy needles as probes for irreversible electroporation ablation and periprocedural biopsy.

Core biopsy needles of 16-G/9-cm were customized to serve as experimental ablation probes. Computed tomography-guided percutaneous irreversible electroporation was performed in in vivo porcine kidneys with pairs of experimental (n = 10) or standard probes (n = 10) using a single parameter set (1667 V/cm, ninety 100 µs pulses). Two biopsy samples were taken immediately following ablation using the experimental probes (n = 20). Ablation outcomes were compared using computed tomography, simulation, and histology. Biopsy and necropsy histology were compared.

Simulation-suggested ablations with experimental probes were smaller than that with standard electrodes (455.23 vs 543.16 mm²), although both exhibited similar shape. Computed tomography (standard: 556 ± 61 mm², experimental: 515 ± 67 mm²; P = .25) and histology (standard: 313 ± 77 mm², experimental: 275 ± 75 mm²; P = .29) indicated ablations with experimental probes were not significantly different from the standard. Histopathology indicated similar morphological changes in both groups. Biopsies from the ablation zone yielded at least 1 core with sufficient tissue for analysis (11 of the 20).

A combined probe for irreversible electroporation ablation and periprocedural tissue sampling from the ablation zone is feasible. Ablation outcomes are comparable to those of standard electrodes.