Lung radiofrequency ablation: post-procedure imaging patterns and late follow-up

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Oncology
• Pulmonology

Background:

• Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive treatment for lung tumors.
• Understanding post-procedural imaging changes is crucial for accurate assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the expected chest computed tomography (CT) imaging features after lung RFA.
• To determine the frequency of these features over time.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of CT scans from 69 patients (144 tumors) who underwent lung RFA.
• Imaging features analyzed at multiple time points: immediate, ≤4 weeks, 5-24 weeks, 25-52 weeks, and ≥52 weeks.
• Exclusion of patients with partial ablation or tumor recurrence.

Main Results:

• Immediately post-RFA, common CT findings included ground glass opacities (96%), consolidation (81%), and hyperdensity (68%).
• Within 4 weeks, ground glass opacities (91%) and consolidation (77%) persisted.
• After 5 weeks, parenchymal bands became the most frequent imaging feature.

Conclusions:

• Lung RFA is a safe and effective treatment for selected lung tumors.
• Familiarity with expected post-RFA CT features and their evolution is essential for radiologists to prevent misinterpretation and guide patient management.