Microwave ablation planning in fatty liver based on fat content-dependent electrical properties

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Biomedical Engineering
• Radiology

Background:

• Hepatic steatosis (fatty liver) alters liver tissue electrical properties (EPs).
• Current microwave ablation (MWA) models rarely account for these EP changes.
• Fat content (FC) significantly influences MWA outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a Dixon-based method for reconstructing hepatic EPs based on fat content.
• To quantitatively investigate the impact of hepatic steatosis on MWA performance using patient-specific models.
• To enhance the physiological realism of MWA simulations in steatotic livers.

Main Methods:

• Dixon-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to create fat content (FC) maps.
• Reconstructed EPs were incorporated into 3D liver models for MWA simulations.
• Simulations were performed using homogeneous and patient-specific FC distributions.

Main Results:

• Increased hepatic FC led to reduced microwave energy deposition and lower temperature elevations.
• Ablation volumes in surrounding liver parenchyma were diminished, especially at lower thermal thresholds.
• Dixon-based patient-specific models showed intermediate ablation behaviors reflecting imaging-derived FC distributions.

Conclusions:

• Incorporating Dixon-derived, FC-dependent EPs heterogeneity improves MWA prediction accuracy.
• This approach enhances the physiological realism of MWA simulations, particularly for steatotic livers.
• Accurate modeling of hepatic steatosis is crucial for optimizing MWA treatment planning.