Image fusion as a new postprocessing method to evaluate the radiofrequency ablation zone after treatment of malignant liver tumors.

摘要

OBJECTIVE: We describe a manual segmentation and image fusion method to assess the relationship between liver tumors and the radiofrequency ablation zone depicted on cross-sectional imaging. CONCLUSIONS: Manual fusion of segmented images of hepatic tumors from a preprocedural scan with the ablation zone depicted on the postinterventional imaging examination may be used to create a composite image demonstrating the ablation margin. This technique may improve evaluation of the size of the ablation margin around the circumference of the tumor, thereby predicting which patients are more likely to incur local tumor recurrence.