Cryoablation for Bone and Soft Tissue Lesions in Pediatric Patients: Complications and Preventive Measures

To evaluate complications associated with cryoablation in a pediatric population and review preventive measures to mitigate these complications.

Retrospective study including all the image guided cryoablations performed on pediatric population. Immediate and delayed complications were analyzed, and we identified the different protective measures used and the clinical outcomes from follow-up. Point estimates for the percentage of complications were calculated by maximum likelihood, and 95% confidence intervals for the true percentages were calculated using the Clopper-Pearson exact method.

Eighty-seven ablations were performed on 68 patients (age range of 2-18 years, mean 12.4 years) for non-neoplastic (70%) and neoplastic (30%) lesions. The percentage of ablations resulting in complications was 18% (95% confidence interval (CI) 11% to 28%). Of these, 5% (95% CI 1% to 11%) were grade 3 complications, and 14% (95% CI 7% to 23%) were grade 2 complications. Thermal protection was performed in 27.6% of ablations (n = 24). The mean clinical follow-up duration was 348 days.

Cryoablation in pediatric patients is relatively safe, with a major complication rate per ablation of 5%. Thermal protective measures can be considered to mitigate these complications.