Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2025
Quantitative Visualization and Detection of Skin Cancer Using Dynamic Thermal Imaging
Published on: May 5, 2011
Thermal Damage Estimate Artifact Following Antecedent Biopsy: A Case Report
Salma M Bakr1, Pranish A Kantak2, Med Jimson D Jimenez3
1Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, EGY.
Abstract:
MR-guided laser interstitial therapy (MRgLITT) is becoming more commonly used for minimal access approaches to intracranial lesions of all etiologies. The short-term safety profile of MRgLITT is favorable compared with sweeping incisions and open craniotomies, especially for lesions located in deep, periventricular, and highly eloquent areas. The Visualase software (Medtronic Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA) has multiple adaptations to assist with this safety margin, including the thermal damage estimate (TDE), which applies predictive mathematical modeling to a two-dimensional (2D) graphical representation. TDE has been shown to highly correlate with actual tissue destruction in a priori MRgLITT cases and to anecdotally be imprecise when MRgLITT is combined with biopsy. We present a case regarding a 17-year-old male patient with intractable focal epilepsy. He underwent stereotactic biopsy and then ablation where it was shown that TDE is ~35% larger in the coronal plane than in the actual ablation zone. Air may have caused this artifact in the biopsy cavity, which affected the proton resonance frequency (PRF) and caused TDE pigment deposition. We believe in the need for a more comprehensive understanding and investigation regarding this TDE artifact. Future prospective studies into MRgLITT should attend carefully in cases where it is combined with biopsy.
Insights
MR-guided laser interstitial therapy (MRgLITT) offers a safer approach for brain lesions. However, thermal damage estimates may be inaccurate when combined with biopsy, necessitating further investigation.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Medical Imaging
- Oncology
Background:
- MR-guided laser interstitial therapy (MRgLITT) is an increasingly utilized minimally invasive technique for intracranial lesions.
- It offers a favorable short-term safety profile compared to open craniotomies, particularly for deep or eloquent brain areas.
- The Visualase software incorporates a thermal damage estimate (TDE) tool for safety margin assessment.
Observation:
- A case study involving a 17-year-old male with epilepsy undergoing stereotactic biopsy followed by MRgLITT is presented.
- The thermal damage estimate (TDE) in the coronal plane was observed to be approximately 35% larger than the actual ablation zone.
- This discrepancy is hypothesized to be caused by air within the biopsy cavity, potentially affecting proton resonance frequency (PRF) and TDE visualization.
Findings:
- The study highlights a potential artifact in the thermal damage estimate (TDE) when MR-guided laser interstitial therapy (MRgLITT) is performed subsequent to stereotactic biopsy.
- Air introduced during the biopsy procedure may interfere with the predictive mathematical modeling of the TDE software.
- This artifact can lead to an overestimation of the treated area in the TDE visualization.
Implications:
- The findings suggest that current thermal damage estimate (TDE) tools may require recalibration or further development for combined biopsy and ablation procedures.
- Further prospective studies are crucial to understand and mitigate TDE artifacts in MRgLITT cases involving prior biopsies.
- Accurate TDE is essential for optimizing treatment efficacy and patient safety in minimally invasive neurosurgery.
More Related Videos
06:42Plasmonic Photothermal Cancer Therapy: Nanoparticle-embedded Tumor-tissue-mimicking Phantoms for Visualizing Photothermal Temperature Distribution
Published on: May 9, 2025
08:56Terahertz Imaging and Characterization Protocol for Freshly Excised Breast Cancer Tumors
Published on: April 5, 2020
