Efficacy of arterial infusion of iodized oil on CT-guided cryoablation for renal cell carcinoma

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of the transarterial infusion of iodized oil and gelatin particles for marking before CT-guided percutaneous cryoablation (PCA) in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Material and methods: This study included ten patients (seven men, three women; mean age 53 years) with 13 RCCs between July 2016 and September 2017. The transarterial infusion of iodized oil and gelatin particles was considered successful when iodized oil accumulated in the target area on CT. CT value of the tumor before and after marking was measured and two diagnostic radiologists evaluated the visualization scores by using a five-point scale (5 = excellent to 1 = invisible). Results: Preoperative marking was successful in all 13 tumors; the median visualization score was 5 post-lipiodol marking and 4 at the time of PCA. The mean CT density was 597 +/- 371 Hounsfield units (HU) just after marking and 437 +/- 234 HU at the time of PCA. All 13 CT-guided PCA procedures were successful. There were no significant complications. During follow-up (median 11.5 +/- 7.0 months) there were no local recurrences. Conclusion: As the transarterial infusion of iodized oil and gelatin particles improved RCC visualization on CT, its delivery before CT-guided PCA may improve its safety and success rate in patients with RCC.