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Introduction: Sudden cardiac death from ventricular fibrillation (VF) remains a major health problem worldwide. Currently, there are limited treatment options available to patients who suffer from episodes of VF. Because Purkinje fibers have been implicated as a source of initiation of VF, we are presenting the first paper of a series highlighting the promising results of substrate modulation through "De‐Networking" of the Purkinje system preventing VF in patients without an alternative ablation strategy. Methods and Results: We studied 10 consecutive patients (two female) all but one implanted with an ICD with documented VF or fast polymorphic Ventricular tachycardia (VT) (five patients without history of structural heart disease, two with ischemic cardiomyopathy, one with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, one with dilated cardiomyopathy, and one with aortic valve disease). After 3D electroanatomical mapping, the left bundle branch (LBB) and left ventricular Purkinje potentials were annotated creating a virtual triangle with the apex formed by the distal LBB and the base by the most distal Purkinje potentials. Linear radiofrequency catheter ablation at the base of the triangle was performed, followed by ablation within the virtual triangle sparing the LBB and both fascicles ("de‐networking"). All patients were treated without complications. During 1‐year follow‐up, only 2/10(20%) patients experienced recurrence in form of a single episode of polymorphic VT/VF. Conclusion: Catheter ablation of VF through "de‐networking" of the Purkinje system in patients without overt arrhythmia substrate or trigger appears safe and effective and will require further study in a larger patient cohort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term ‘flutter’ and ‘fibrillation’ were first coined to differentiate the differences between fast, regular contractions in Atrial Flutter (AFLUT) with irregular, vermiform contractions of Atrial Fibrillation (AFIB). Management of these two diseases has been a challenge for physicians. Rate control (along with rhythm control) is the first line of management for symptomatic AFIB/AFLUT with Rapid Ventricular Rate (RVR). In some situations, atrial rhythms may not be well controlled by these anti-arrhythmic drugs, making cardioversion to sinus rhythm necessary. Anti-coagulation therapy in both the disease population is essential. Catheter ablation is an effective treatment option in certain patients that have AFIB/AFLUT refractory to medical management. Newer techniques like left atrial appendage (LAA) has been developed and is a highly attractive concept for the future in the management of AFIB/AFLUT. Newer novel drugs targeting specific ion channels are approaching the stages of clinical investigation. However, while advances in technologies have helped elucidate many aspects of these diseases, many mysteries still remain. This literature review serves as one of the guideline papers for current up-to-date management on both AFIB and AFLUT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are a common finding in clinical practice, requiring a full diagnostic work-up in order to exclude an underlying cardiomyopathy. Still, in a substantial proportion of patients, these investigations do not identify any substrate, and the PVCs are labelled as idiopathic. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has proven in the last decades as the method of choice for the exploration of patients with cardiomyopathies, since it can identify subtle changes in the myocardial tissue and help with risk stratification. In patients with idiopathic PVCs and a high PVC burden, several studies report the presence of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) at CMR, which can offer additional diagnostic and prognostic benefits, as well as assistance in catheter ablation procedures, as the risk for adverse cardiac and risk for arrhythmic events events is higher compared to patients without scar. This paper focuses on the impact of the presence of LGE in patients with idiopathic PVCs, reviewing all the relevant studies published so far, including randomized controlled clinical trials, prospective or retrospective cohort studies, case series and case reports as well as systematic reviews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report on the use of a purpose-built hybrid solid-state microwave and radiofrequency generator operating at frequencies of 2.45 GHz and/or 480 kHz for cancer ablation in various tissues. The hybrid generator was tested ex vivo on chicken breast and bovine liver and has demonstrated that the high accuracy of the power delivered to the sample can be achieved by controlling the emitted power versus the temperature profile of the treated sample. In particular, the hybrid generator incorporates control systems based on impedance or reflected power measurements that allow controlled ablation without causing unwanted carbonization and without including areas where tissue damage is not desired. The results of the ex vivo tests showed that radiofrequency ablation (RFA) could be effective for performing controlled ablations with minimally invasive probes, such as cardiac pathologies, small lesions, and tissues with particular composition, while microwave ablation (MWA) could be optimal for performing large ablations in highly vascularized tissues, such as liver cancer, where it is necessary to achieve higher temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ventricular tachycardia poses a significant therapeutic challenge. It can manifest over a spectrum from minimal palpitation symptoms to sudden cardiac death. This makes large-scale trials on the treatment of ventricular tachycardia difficult to perform. The mechanism of ventricular tachycardia must also be understood before embarking on treatment. Patients with or without structural heart disease will have different mechanisms for the onset and propagation of these arrhythmias. Catheter ablation is an established management option for ventricular tachycardia; however, it is not always successful and anti-arrhythmic medications are often necessary to control these life-threatening arrhythmias. Although anti-arrhythmics can suppress ventricular tachycardias they also carry side effects. In certain substrates, some of these medications can exacerbate arrhythmias or heart failure. For these reasons, a multifaceted approach to treating ventricular tachycardia is necessary. This paper is a comprehensive review of the comprehensive management strategies for ventricular tachycardia. Anti-arrhythmic medications have an important role and their use in various cardiomyopathies and channelopathies is reviewed in detail. We also review the promising effects of gene therapy and artificial intelligence on different substrates for ventricular tachycardia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents various studies along with their aim, methods, and conclusion. Topics include prognostic value of preoperative Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level in patients receiving curative hepatectomy, using randomized controlled trial for examining the impact of enhanced geraitric input on elderly patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery, and evaluating the optimal ablation duration of adrenal radiofrequency ablation using porcine model.

Atrial fibrillation (A-fib) is the most common type of heart arrhythmia, typically treated with radiofrequency catheter ablation to isolate the heart from abnormal electrical signals. Monitoring the formation of ablation-induced lesions is crucial for preventing recurrences and complications arising from excessive or insufficient ablation. Existing imaging modalities lack real-time feedback, and their intraoperative usage is in its early stages. A critical need exists for an imaging-based lesion indexing (LSI) method that directly reflects tissue necrosis formation. Previous studies have indicated that spectroscopic photoacoustic (sPA) imaging can differentiate ablated tissues from their non-ablated counterparts based on PA spectrum variation. In this paper, we introduce a method for detecting ablation lesion boundaries using sPA imaging. This approach utilizes ablation LSI, which quantifies the ratio between the signal from ablated tissue and the total tissue signal. We enhance boundary detection accuracy by adapting a regression model-based compensation. Additionally, the method was cross-validated with clinically used intraoperative monitoring parameters. The proposed method was validated with ex vivo porcine cardiac tissues with necrotic lesions created by different ablation durations. The PA-measured lesion size was compared with gross pathology. Statistical analysis demonstrates a strong correlation (R > 0.90) between the PA-detected lesion size and gross pathology. The PA-detected lesion size also exhibits a moderate to strong correlation (R > 0.75) with local impedance changes recorded during procedures. These results suggest that the introduced PA imaging-based LSI has great potential to be incorporated into the clinical workflow, guiding ablation procedures intraoperatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atrial fibrillation (AF), a common supraventricular arrhythmia, is associated with severe complications, including ischemic stroke and heart failure, significantly increasing morbidity and mortality rates. Its pathogenesis encompasses a wide array of electrophysiological and pathophysiological mechanisms. Central to AF’s onset, persistence, and recurrence is atrial structural remodeling, notably characterized by left atrial (LA) myocardial fibrosis, which acts as a crucial predictive indicator. Catheter ablation (CA) is the preferred treatment for symptomatic or drug-resistant AF, despite a notable recurrence rate post-procedure. Contemporary research highlights a significant link between LA fibrosis and AF recurrence following CA. Thus, precise evaluation and quantification of LA fibrosis are imperative for identifying AF patients at high risk, formulating individualized ablation approaches, and estimating the likelihood of post - CA AF recurrence. This paper thoroughly reviews the interconnected mechanisms between LA fibrosis and AF, encompassing aspects such as imaging and serological evaluations, with the aim of informing AF prevention and management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intrahepatic interruption of the inferior vena cava (IVC) with continued hemizygous is a very rare abnormality and sometimes it may be accompanied by other cardiovascular abnormalities. Continuation of the hemizygous vein draining into the right atrium through the left superior vena cava (LSVC) is much rarer. In this paper, we have presented a patient who had simultaneous IVC interrupted with persistent LSVC and suffered from Atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT). Finally, radiofrequencies (RF) catheter ablation for AVNRT was successfully performed through a left subclavian vein access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Primary liver cancer is a major health issue, so finding the most effective treatment is vital. OBJECTIVE: The present meta-analysis compares high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to radiofrequency (RF) ablation for primary liver cancer treatment. METHODS: PubMed, MEDLINE, CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang were used to search for English and Chinese papers. After carefully confirming data completeness and applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, RevMan 5.3 was used to evaluate the included literature. Data analysis utilized a fixed-effects model for heterogeneity between 0.1 and 0.5. RESULTS: The meta-analysis included 304 patients: 119 had HIFU and 185 RF ablation. For primary liver cancer, HIFU and RF ablation were equally efficacious (odds ratio 1.02, 95% confidence interval [0.54, 1.92]). Overall survival, disease-free survival, and complications at 1, 2, and 3 years were not significantly different (odds ratio 0.72, 95% confidence range [0.04, 12.79], P = 0.82). CONCLUSION: The meta-analysis shows no significant difference in efficacy, long-term survival rates, or complication rates between HIFU and RF ablation for primary liver cancer, but more large-scale, high-quality randomized clinical trials are needed to prove their equivalence. Both therapy strategies seem promising, but additional information is needed to determine their respective merits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the discussion on evaluating the safety and effectiveness of using dTRA (distal transradial access). Topics include comparing the efficacy and safety of Catheter ablation (CA) combined with left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) and CA; and evaluating the relationship between LEAD anatomic and clinical features and various sitting patterns.

The article presents abstracts on topics related to medical radiology including the quantitative magnetization transfer parameters of human patellar cartilage, effectiveness of radio frequency ablation in chondroblastoma, and the role of Diffusion Weighted Imaging (DWI) in differential diagnosis between enchondroma and central chondrosarcoma.

Transseptal puncture is an established technique for achieving left atrium access during cardiac procedures. It is associated with low overall complication rate and high success rates. Although being a decades old technique, recent years brought substantial development in the field, allowing for faster and safer left atrium catheterization. In this paper we discuss its history, complications, available techniques and current state of the art. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital surgery technologies, such as interventional robotics and sensor systems, not only improve patient care but also aid in the development and optimization of traditional invasive treatments and methods. Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia with critical clinical relevance today. Delayed intervention can lead to heart failure, stroke, or sudden cardiac death. Although many advances have been made in the field of radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation (CA), it can be further developed by incorporating sensor technology to improve its efficacy and safety. Automation can be utilized to shorten the duration of RF ablation, provided that the interactions between the tissue and the RF tools are well understood and adequately modeled. Further research is needed to develop the optimal catheter design. This paper describes the systematic methodology developed to support robot-assisted RF CA characterization measurements. The article describes the custom instruments developed for the experiments, particularly the contact force limiter, the measurement procedure, and the evaluation of the results, as enablers for new results. The aim was to establish an objective, repeatable, robust measurement method and adjacent procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) are the most common ventricular arrhythmia that are encountered in the clinical practice. Recent data suggests that high PVC burden may lead to the development of PVC‐induced cardiomyopathy (PVC‐CM) even in patients without structural heart disease. Treatment for effective suppression of PVCs, can reverse PVC‐CM. Both antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) and catheter ablation (CA) are recognized treatment modalities for any cardiac arrhythmias. However, with increasing preference of CA, the role of AADs needs further defining regarding their efficacy, safety, indications and patient selection to treat PVC‐CM. Methods: To ascertain the role of AADs to treat PVC‐CM; whether they are indicated to treat PVC‐CM, and if so, when, we interrogated PubMed and other search engines for English language publications with key words premature ventricular complexes (PVCs), cardiomyopathy, anti‐arrhythmic drugs, catheter ablation, and pharmacological agents. All publications were carefully reviewed and scrutinized by the authors for their inclusion in the review paper. For illustration of cases, ethical standard was observed as per the 1975 Declaration of Helsinki, and the patient was treated as per the prevailing standard of care. Informed consent was obtained from the patient for conducting the ablation procedure. Results: Our literature search specifically the pharmacological treatment of PVC‐CM with AADs revealed significant paradigm shift in treatment approach for PVCs and PVC‐induced cardiomyopathy. No major large, randomized control trials of AADs versus CA for PVC‐CM were found. We found that beta‐blockers and calcium channel blockers are particularly effective in the treatment of PVCs originating from right ventricular outflow tract. For Class Ic AADs ‐ flecainide and propafenone, small clinical studies showed Class Ic AADs to be effective in PVC suppression, but their usage was not recommended in patients with significant coronary artery disease. Mexiletine was found to have modest effect on PVC suppression. Studies showed sotalol to significantly reduce PVCs frequency in patients receiving both low and high doses. Studies also showed amiodarone to have higher successful PVC suppression, but not recommended as a first‐line treatment for patients with idiopathic PVCs in the absence of symptoms and left ventricular dysfunction. For dronedarone, no major clinical data were available. Conclusions: Based on the available data in the literature, we conclude that AADs play important role in the treatment of PVC‐induced cardiomyopathy. However, appropriate patient selection criteria are vitally important, and in general terms AADs are indicated or polymorphic PVCs, epicardial PVCs; and when CA procedure is contraindicated, or not feasible or failed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The left ventricular summit (LVS) refers to the highest portion of the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT). It is an epicardially delimited triangular area by the left coronary arteries and the coronary venous circulation. Its deep myocardium correlates closely with the left coronary cusp, aortic‐mitral continuity, and right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT), complicating the anatomical relationship. Ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) originating from this area are common, accounting for 14.5% of all VAs origin from left ventricle. Specific electrocardiogram (ECG) characteristics may assist in locating LVS‐VAs pre‐procedure and facilitate procedure planning. However, catheter ablation of LVS‐VAs remains challenging because of anatomical constraints. This paper reviews the recent understanding of LVS anatomy, concludes ECG characteristics, and summarizes current mapping and ablation methods for LVS‐VAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Although the percutaneous approach has always been the standard to ablate hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), both intraoperative laparoscopic and laparotomic approaches have recently demonstrated viability in patients unfit for hepatic resection or percutaneous ablation. Most published papers are based on radiofrequency technology performed with a laparoscopic approach, and the literature lacks up-to-date data on laparotomic microwave ablations. This study discusses the efficacy and safety of intraoperative ablation of HCC with state-of-the-art microwave technology in both laparoscopic and laparotomic fashions, demonstrating high clinical success rates and rare complications for intraoperative HCC ablation unsuitable for a percutaneous treatment, strengthening its performance with microwave technology. Moreover, for the first time in literature, both laparoscopic and laparotomic fashions are reported altogether. Purpose: To evaluate technical and clinical outcomes of intraoperative (laparoscopic/laparotomic) microwave ablation on HCC. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective single-center study evaluating consecutive patients treated for very early/early-stage HCC with intraoperative microwave ablation from 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2023. In these patients, a percutaneous US-guided approach was excluded due to the nodule's suboptimal visibility or harmful location and liver resection for a deep position or adherences. Data about the clinical stage, surgical approach, liver pathology and nodules characteristics, technical success, complications, and follow-up were collected. Technical success was intended as the absence of locoregional persistence at follow-up CT/MRI controls. Results: A total of 36 cirrhotic patients (M:F = 30:6, median age 67 years) were enrolled; 18/36 (50%) had a single nodule, 13/36 (36%) had two, 4/36 had three (11%), and 1/36 had four (3%). Among the patients, 24 (67%) were treated with laparoscopy, and 12/36 (33%) with a laparotomic approach. Sixty HCCs of 16.5 mm (6–50 mm) were treated for 7 min (2–30 min) with 100 W of power. A total of 55 nodules (92%) were treated successfully and showed no residual enhancement at the first postoperative follow-up; the other 5/60 (8%) underwent chemo/radioembolization. There was one complication (3%): a biliary fistula treated with percutaneous drainage and glue embolization. The average hospital stay was 3.5 days (1–51 days), and patients were followed up on average for 238 days (13–1792 days). During follow-up, 5/36 patients (14%) underwent liver transplantation, 1/36 (2%) died during hospitalization and 1 after discharge. Conclusions: Laparoscopic/laparotomic intraoperative HCC MW ablation is feasible in patients unsuitable for percutaneous approach or hepatic resection, with rare complications and with good technical and clinical outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renal artery denervation has shown to be an effective treatment for resistant hypertension. Symplicity HTN 1 and 2 trials showed in small and uncontrolled groups, significant systolic blood pressure reductions down to 30 mm Hg. Symplicity HTN-3, a double blind, randomized, placebo controlled clinical trial shaded this initial enthusiasm. Surprisingly, their results showed that renal denervation has a similar effect to placebo. Pre-specified subgroup analysis showed that non-black race individuals, younger than 65 years and with normal renal function, had a statistically significant systolic blood pressure decrease. This manuscript critically appraises the Symplicity HTN-3 trial, proposing possible explanations for the results. Also declares our group position and future actions regarding renal denervation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying sites critical for re-entry in the atrium has not been well elucidated. Deceleration zone (DZ) mapping has been demonstrated to be a useful tool to find areas of critical isthmus (CI) for ventricular tachycardia (VT) mapping in SR. The relationship between the CI for atypical flutter and corresponding sites in sinus rhythm (SR) has not been well established. This approach has now been applied to the atrium. Using high-density mapping, DZ, defined as 3 isochrones over 1 cm, our data have demonstrated that DZ co-localized and predicted CI. These locations contributed to 30-50% of the cycle length, and an order of magnitude of slowing in conduct velocity (CV) slowing regardless of wavefront activation direction or cycle length. Along with identifying sites of re-entry, these areas of DZ provide a theoretical framework for identifying pivot points within scar which may be relevant for atrial fibrillation (AF) maintenance. This paper will summarize this approach and evaluate future directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vertebral body metastases (VBM) are one of the most frequent sites of bone metastasis, and their adequate therapeutic management still represents an insidious challenge for both oncologists and surgeons. A possible alternative treatment for VBM is radiofrequency ablation (RFA), a percutaneous technique in which an alternating current is delivered to the tumor lesion producing local heating and consequent necrosis. However, RFA alone could alter the biomechanics and microanatomy of the vertebral body, thus increasing the risk of post-procedure vertebral fractures and spine instability, and indeed the aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of RFA on spine stability. A systematic review according to PRISMA-P guidelines was performed, and 17 papers were selected for the systematic review. The results show how RFA is an effective, safe, and feasible alternative to conventional radiotherapy for the treatment of VBM without indication for surgery, but spine stability is a major issue in this context. Although exerting undeniable benefits on pain control and local tumor recurrence, RFA alone increases the risk of spine instability and consequent vertebral body fractures and collapses. Concomitant safe and feasible therapeutic strategies such as percutaneous vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty have shown synergic positive effects on back pain and improvement in spine stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR) AFib Ablation Registry was created to assess real-world prevalence, demographic characteristics, procedural management, and outcomes of patients undergoing atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation procedures. The goal of this study was to characterize the patient, hospital, and physician characteristics and in-hospital outcomes related to AF ablation in the first 5 years of the registry. This paper describes the AFib Ablation Registry structure and governance, outcome assessment processes, data quality, and data collection processes. The characteristics of the patient population, hospitals, and in-hospital outcomes are also described. A total of 76,219 patients were included in the registry between January 2016 and December 2020 (mean age 65.5 ± 10.3 years, 65.2% male, 55.8% paroxysmal AF, mean CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score 2.7 ± 1.6) treated by 708 physicians in 162 hospitals. Successful isolation of all pulmonary veins was achieved in 92.4% of patients. The prevalence of any complication during procedural admission was 2.50% and major complication was 0.9%, including significant bradycardia in 0.47%, heart failure in 0.47%, and pericardial effusion requiring intervention in 0.44%. Hospitalization >1 day occurred in 11.8% of patients, and in-hospital death was rare (n = 41 [0.05%]). The NCDR AFib Ablation Registry is the largest multicenter, prospective cohort study of patients undergoing catheter ablation worldwide. Results in the first 5 years showed that successful pulmonary vein isolation is achieved in the majority of patients, with a low rate of complications. Future studies from the registry will assess practice trends, evaluate treatment patterns associated with different patient outcomes, and support development of evidence-based guidelines. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Durable pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is recommended for symptomatic paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) treatment, but it has been demonstrated that it may not be enough to treat persistent AF (Pe-AF). Therefore, posterior wall isolation (PWI) is among the strategies adopted on top of PVI to treat Pe-AF patients. However, PWI using contiguous and optimized radiofrequency lesions remains challenging, and few studies have evaluated the impact of the Ablation Index (AI) on the efficacy of PWI. Moreover, previous papers did not evaluate arrhythmia recurrences using continuous monitoring. Methods: This is a prospective, observational, single-center study on patients affected by Pe-AF undergoing treated PVI plus AI-guided PWI. Procedures were performed using the CARTO mapping system, SmartTouch SF ablation catheter, and PentaRay multipolar mapping catheter. The AI settings were 500–550 for the anterior PV aspect and roofline, while the settings were 450–500 for the posterior PV aspect, bottom line, and/or PW lesions. All patients received an implantable loop recorder (ILR). All patients underwent clinical evaluation in the outpatient clinic at 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. A standard 12-lead ECG was performed at each visit, and device data from the ILR were reviewed to assess for arrhythmia recurrence. Results: Between January 2021 and December 2021, forty-one consecutive patients underwent PVI plus PWI guided by AI at our center and were prospectively enrolled in the study. PVI was achieved in all patients, first-pass roofline block was obtained in 82.9% of the patients, and first-pass block of the bottom line was achieved in 36.5% of the patients. In 39% of the patients, PWI was not performed with a "box-only" lesion set, but with scattered lesions across the PW to achieve PWI. AI on the anterior aspect of the left PVs was 528 ± 22, while on the posterior aspect of the left PVs, it was 474 ± 18; on the anterior aspect of the right PVs, it was 532 ± 27, while on the posterior aspect of the right PVs, it was 477 ± 16; on the PW, AI was 468 ± 19. No acute complications occurred at the end of the procedure. After the blanking period, 70.7% of the patients reported no arrhythmia recurrence during the 12-month follow-up period. Conclusions: In patients with Pe-AF undergoing catheter ablation, PWI guided by AI seems to be an effective and feasible strategy in addition to standard PVI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pericardial access is necessary for the application of epicardial cardiac therapies including ablation catheters, pacing and defibrillation leads, and left atrial appendage closure systems. Pericardial access under fluoroscopic guidance is difficult in patients without pericardial effusions and may result in coronary artery damage, ventricular injury, or perforation with potentially life-threatening pericardial bleeding in up to 10% of cases. There is a clinical need for a pericardial access technique to safely deliver epicardial cardiac therapies. Methods: In this paper, we describe the design and evaluation of a novel videoscope and tool kit to percutaneously access the pericardial space under direct visualization. Imaging is performed by a micro-CMOS camera with an automatic gain adjustment software to prevent image saturation. Imaging quality is quantified using known optical targets, while tool performance is evaluated in pediatric insufflation and pericardial access simulators. Device safety and efficacy is demonstrated by infant porcine preclinical studies (N = 6). Results: The videoscope has a resolution of 400 × 400 pixels, imaging rate of 30 frames per second, and fits within the lumen of a 14G needle. The tool can resolve features smaller than 39.4 µm, achieves a magnification of 24x, and has a maximum of 3.5% distortion within the field of view. Successful pericardial access was achieved in pediatric simulators and acute in vivo animal studies. During in vivo testing, it took the electrophysiologist an average of 66.83 ± 32.86 s to insert the pericardial access tool into the thoracic space and visualize the heart. After visualizing the heart, it took an average of 136.67 ± 80.63 s to access the pericardial space under direct visualization. The total time to pericardial access measured from needle insertion was 6.7 × quicker than pericardial access using alternative direct visualization techniques. There was no incidence of ventricular perforation. Conclusions: Percutaneous pericardial access under direct visualization is a promising technique to access the pericardial space without complications in simulated and in vivo animal models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper was to highlight the importance of the anatomy of the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) and the proximity of the mid segment of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) to the RVOT in the setting of ablation of ventricular arrhythmias in the RVOT. During the period from 2014 till 2017, five patients with injury to the LAD during ablation within RVOT were identified in three centers, in Belgium, Germany and Israel. The clinical characteristics, procedural data and follow up data, where available, are reported. The literature review over coronary artery damage during radiofrequency ablation procedures is provided and the anatomy of the RVOT and the neighboring vascular structures is discussed. We present five patients who underwent radiofrequency ablation of ventricular arrhythmias mapped to the inferior and anterior part of the RVOT, at the insertion of the right ventricular wall to the septum, whereby ablation resulted in occlusion in four and severe stenosis in one, of the mid segment of the LAD coronary artery. All patients underwent percutaneous coronary intervention and stenting, four of them immediately during the same procedure and one 3 days later because of lack of signs and symptoms of acute coronary occlusion. In conclusion, the mid segment of the LAD at the level of the second septal perforator/second diagonal branch runs in very close proximity to the endocardial aspect of the lower part of the RVOT and care should be taken during ablation of ventricular arrhythmias in this region. Additional imaging such as intracardiac echocardiography and coronary angiography may be helpful in avoiding complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Varicose veins are a common disorder for which different treatments with varied efficacy have been introduced so far. In this study, we review the results of previous studies to evaluate the efficacy of ClosureFast endovenous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in treating varicose veins. The present study was performed based on the Meta-analysis Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) protocols, and the results were reported based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guideline. Searches were conducted in all authentic online databases, and the retrieved papers were conducted until March 2021 using Mesh keywords. Study data with the necessary quality to enter the meta-analysis were extracted. Data were analyzed using comprehensive meta-analysis (CMA) software version 2. The cutoff level for significance was determined at 0.05. In total, 36 studies with sample size 7404 procedures were included. Radiofrequency ablation success, recurrence, and recanalization rates in the treatment of varicose veins were estimated to be 95%, 7%, and 3% respectively. The most common complications were bruising 13%, induration 11.6%, edema 8%, ecchymosis 7.4%, and numbness 6.3%. This study showed that the radiofrequency ablation method is a high-performance method with few and often transient complications, and the risk of significant complications in using this method to treat varicose veins is low. More studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of this method compared to other treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia. Signal-processing approaches are widely used for the analysis of intracardiac electrograms (iEGMs), which are collected during catheter ablation from patients with AF. In order to identify possible targets for ablation therapy, dominant frequency (DF) is widely used and incorporated in electroanatomical mapping systems. Recently, a more robust measure, multiscale frequency (MSF), for iEGM data analysis was adopted and validated. However, before completing any iEGM analysis, a suitable bandpass (BP) filter must be applied to remove noise. Currently, no clear guidelines for BP filter characteristics exist. The lower bound of the BP filter is usually set to 3–5 Hz, while the upper bound ( B P ¯ t h ) of the BP filter varies from 15 Hz to 50 Hz according to many researchers. This large range of B P ¯ t h subsequently affects the efficiency of further analysis. In this paper, we aimed to develop a data-driven preprocessing framework for iEGM analysis, and validate it based on DF and MSF techniques. To achieve this goal, we optimized the B P ¯ t h   using a data-driven approach (DBSCAN clustering) and demonstrated the effects of different B P ¯ t h on subsequent DF and MSF analysis of clinically recorded iEGMs from patients with AF. Our results demonstrated that our preprocessing framework with B P ¯ t h = 15 Hz has the best performance in terms of the highest Dunn index. We further demonstrated that the removal of noisy and contact-loss leads is necessary for performing correct data iEGMs data analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to analyse and evaluate the function of interventional radiology in such instances by evaluating several elements of each procedure, such as its influence on survival rates, recurrence, tumour response, and complications. The following databases were searched: PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, EBSCO, and the Cochrane Library. Using Rayyan QCRI, study papers were screened by title and abstract before being subjected to a full-text evaluation. This review included 13 studies with participants of varying ages and genders; more than half were males. All included studies discussing the role of interventional radiology in hepatoma cases in diagnosis and treatment. We included Sex studies that were systematic reviews; two were randomized controlled, one was a case-control study, one was a prospective study, two were retrospective studies, and one was a pilot study. In the ablation therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma nodules, we determined that microwave ablation had greater complete ablation and lower local tumour growth than radiofrequency ablation. In large tumors (up to 6 cm), mwa is preferred, and cryoablation is preferred in recurrent disease. Because of a lesser heat-sink effect, mwa and cryoablation are preferred to RFA in perivascular disease. Chemoablation can be used in smaller lesions (<3 cm). In intermediate-stage, multifocal lesions (>3), tace, debs, and tare are to be used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The precise local minimally invasive or noninvasive treatment represents the important orientation for advancing the treatment of pulmonary malignant tumors. New local treatment methods have emerged as solutions to the shortcomings of minimally invasive or local treatment methods. Image‐guided thermal ablation (IGTA) comes with the characteristics such as more accurate localization, less trauma, more definite efficacy, higher safety, stronger repeatability, fewer complications, and lower cost in treating lung tumors. This paper investigates the existing problems of IGTA in the treatment of lung tumors and puts forward the orientation of studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vertebral fracture is a common trauma can occur at any age group. Unstable fractures are treated surgically to restore the basic spinal functionality. In most cases, stable fractures are treated conservatively or by minimally invasive techniques. Pain is the most common symptom and can be a limiting factor for an early return to ones daily activities. Among the minimally invasive procedures for pain management are analgesis blockades, oxygenozone therapy, radiofrequency ablation or augmentation. This paper presents the current view of evidence-based medicine (EBM) on individual methods of pain treatment of which basic principles and aspects are discussed. Furthermore, the practical experiences of the author's workplace are presented. Over the past 8 years, more than 8,800 back pain treatments under CT guidance and 253 augmentation procedures have been performed at the authors' workplace. No clinically significant complication was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pregnancy can trigger maternal tachycardias, and the onset of recurrent or incessant focal atrial tachycardia (AT) can lead to tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy. Medical interventions are commonly employed, but they carry potential fetal and maternal risks. Catheter ablation (CA), particularly with non-fluoroscopic navigation systems, may be considered as an alternative. This systematic review aims to explore the feasibility and outcomes of CA for focal AT during pregnancy. A thorough literature search was conducted until September 30th, 2023, on PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases. Included articles described maternal focal ATs diagnosed through electrophysiological studies and treated with CA. Data derived from these studies were organized into tables and subsequently analyzed. Out of 278 papers reviewed, 15 articles involving 24 patients were retrieved. CA, utilizing radiofrequency energy achieved acute success in 95.8% of cases. Sixteen patients (66.7%) underwent complete fluoroless procedures, with two adverse events directly related to the procedure reported. Long-term follow-up revealed minimal AT recurrences, with a 0.06% arrhythmia burden in one case. Focal ATs during pregnancy can be incessant and refractory to medical intervention, precipitating an acute decline in left ventricular ejection fraction. In this setting, CA emerges as an efficacious treatment modality, particularly in cases of tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathies. Whenever feasible, it is advisable to perform these procedures with minimal or no fluoroscopy guidance. Larger studies are needed to establish the safety and the efficacy of CA for focal ATs during pregnancy, as current research consists of case reports or small case series. • The onset of recurrent or incessant focal atrial tachycardia during pregnancy can lead to tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy. • Medical therapy may be ineffective and poses risks for both the mother and the fetus. • We reported a high acute success rate (95.8%) of catheter ablation utilizing radiofrequency. • The majority of procedures (66.7%) were effectively performed without fluoroscopy. • In long-term follow-up, only one recurrence was identified, with a minimal arrhythmia burden (0.06%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents abstracts on medical topics which include endovenous ablation of incompetent truncal veins and their perforators, deregulation of epidermal stem cell niche, and changes in the diameter and valve closure time of leg veins across the menstrual cycle.

During ageing, the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and of cardiovascular disease CVD) increases. Our aim is to investigate the relationship between AD and CVD and its risk factors, with a view to explaining the underlying mechanisms of this association. This review is based on the material obtained via MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase and Clinical Trials databases, from January 1980 until May 2019. The search term used was "Alzheimer's disease", combined with "cardiovascular disease", "hypertension", "dyslipidaemia", "diabetes mellitus", "atrial fibrillation", "coronary artery disease", "heart valve disease", "heart failure". Out of the 1328 papers initially retrieved, 431 duplicates and 216 records in languages other than English were removed; thus, only 98 papers were included in our research material. We have found that AD and CVD are frequently associated, while both of them, alone may be considered deleterious to health, the study of their combination constitutes a clinical challenge. Further research will help to clarify the real impact of CVD and its risk factors on AD, in order to better comprehend the effects of subclinical and clinical cardiovascular diseases on the brain. It may be hypothesized that there are various mechanisms underlying the association between AD and CVD, the main ones being: hypoperfusion and emboli, atherosclerosis, furthermore in both the heart and brain of AD patients, amyloid deposits may be present, thus causing damage to these organs. We need to clarify the real impact of these underlying hypothesized mechanisms and to investigate gender issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Stereotactic cryoablation is a minimally invasive surgical technique that has been used to treat disorders of the brain in the past; however, in current practice, it is primarily used for the treatment of liver, kidney, lung, prostate, and breast neoplasms. In this paper, currently used surgical methods to treat medically refractory seizure disorder are reviewed, and a case is made for the use of stereotactic cryoablation. Main body: Anterior temporal lobectomy is the gold standard for temporal. There are also several variations of this procedure. Since this is a resective surgery, it can result in neurological defects. To obviate this problem, minimally invasive surgical techniques such as radio frequency ablation and laser interstitial thermal therapy are currently being used for intracranial targets. Cryoablation offers certain advantages over thermal ablations. Cryoablation studies in brain, renal, breast, and other neoplasms have shown that cryoablation has superior abilities to monitor the ablation zone in real time via computerized tomography imaging and also has the capability to create lesions of both smaller and larger sizes. This allows for safer and more effective tumor destruction. Short conclusion: Based on the review, the authors conclude that further investigation of the use of stereotactic cryoablation in patients with medically intractable epilepsy is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: It is often difficult to clinically and radiologically diagnose intra-articular osteoid osteomas and osteoid osteomas of the hip joint. Treatment can also be difficult due to complex locational relationships. CT-guided radiofrequency ablation is currently the standard form of treatment. In this paper we report on a minimally-invasive concept for treating osteoid osteomas near the hip joint in children and adolescents which does not involve using computed tomography. Material and method: 10 patients with an average age of 12.1 years underwent treatment for osteoid osteomas in the hip joint region. The diagnosis was made using a contrast-enhanced MRI. The osteoid osteomas were marked percutaneously using x-ray and MRI guidance. MRI-guided drilling/curettage was performed in 4 cases and arthroscopic resection in 6 cases. Results: All lesions were successfully treated using the MRI-guided method. All patients were free of pain after the treatment. There was no instance of recurrence during the follow-up period, which averaged 10 months. The effective dose for marking the lesion was between 0.0186 mSv and 0.342 mSV (mean 0.084 mSV). Conclusions: Our MRI diagnostics protocol, the MRI-guided drilling and the minimally invasive hip arthroscopy represent an alternative to CT-guided radiofrequency ablation in the treatment of osteoid osteomas. Radiation exposure can thereby be significantly reduced. Hip arthroscopy can also be used to treat secondary pathologies such as femoroacetabular impingement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The treatment of ventricular tachycardia caused by nonischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM-VT) is challenging in clinical practice, however, the related clinical data of catheter ablation for NICM-VT are limited. This paper reviews the progress of catheter ablation for NICM-VT from three aspects: clinical efficacy, mapping strategy, and future prospect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catheter ablation has become the main treatment for atrial fibrillation. However complications such as stroke and embolism may be resulted from catheter ablation, especially silent cerebral embolism (SCE), which can affect nerve function and lead to cognitive dysfunction. Therefore, it is of great clinical significance to prevent and reduce SCE during perioperative period of catheter ablation. This paper systematically reviews the definition, incidence, sites, clinical manifestations, mechanism and risk factors of SCE, and the influence of different ablation methods on SCE, in order to improve clinicians' understandings of SCE, and prevent and reduce its incidence after catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LINKED CONTENT: This article is linked to Tong et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17263 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17423 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The increased incidence of primary papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) has led to increased research in the field of nonsurgical therapeutic options for those who refuse surgery or are at high risk for surgery. The study aimed at comprehensively evaluating the efficacy and safety of thermal ablation techniques for the treatment of PTMC via a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: The Pubmed MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched for studies reporting the efficacy and safety of thermal ablations (radiofrequency-, laser-, and microwave-ablations [RFA, LA, and MWA]) until August 10, 2019. A review of 105 potential papers identified 11 eligible papers, including 715 patients. The pooled proportions of complete disappearance and recurrence, and the pooled estimates of mean volume reduction and its rate of the treated PTMC were assessed by using random-effects modeling. The pooled proportions of overall and major complications were calculated. Subgroup analysis was performed according to the treatment modality. Between-study heterogeneity was explored by using χ2 statistic for pooled estimates and inconsistency index I2. Quality of the studies was evaluated by using the Risk of Bias Assessment Tool for Nonrandomized Studies. Results: The pooled proportions of complete disappearance and recurrence of PTMC were 57.6% [95% confidence interval (CI): 35.4–79.8] and 0.4% [95% CI: 0–1.1], respectively. The pooled estimates of mean volume reduction and its rate were 73.5 mm3 [52.4–94.6 mm3] and 98.1% [95% CI: 96.7–99.5], respectively. The pooled proportions of overall and major complications were 3.2% [95% CI: 1.1–5.2] and 0.7% [95% CI: 0–1.5], respectively. Significant between-study heterogeneity was observed for complete disappearance (p < 0.001, I2: 99%), mean volume reduction (p < 0.001, I2: 93%), and its rate (p < 0.001, I2: 86%). Subgroup analysis revealed heterogeneity of the complete disappearance proportion among the treatment modality (I2 range: 95–100%). RFA showed the highest mean volume reduction rate (99.3%), followed by MWA (95.3%) and LA (88.6%) (p < 0.001). Conclusions: All thermal ablation techniques were effective and safe for the treatment of PTMC. However, each treatment modality had significant heterogeneity with respect to complete disappearance of PTMC. Compared with RFA and MWA, LA was less effective in reducing the volume of PTMC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Referral to an endoscopist is often done once curative resection is no longer an option for cholangiocarcinoma management. In such cases, palliation has become the main objective of the treatment. Photodynamic therapy and radiofrequency ablation can be performed to achieve palliation, with both procedures associated with improved stent patency and survival. Despite the greatly increased cost and association with photosensitivity, photodynamic therapy allows transmission to the entire biliary tree. In contrast, radiofrequency ablation is cheaper and faster to apply, but requires intraductal contact. This paper reviews both modalities and compares their efficacy and safety for bile duct cancer palliation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A survey conducted by the ESC in 27 member countries evaluated the practice use of atrial fibrillation ablation. • 3582 ablated patients were enrolled, 537 with HF, 77% of which had preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF ≥ 50%). • In contrast most randomized clinical research trials focused on HF with reduced LVEF (< 35–40%). • Such asymmetry in evidence may account for some inconsistency in current Guidelines. This issue is commented in this paper. The use of catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AFA) is increasing and it has now been extended to include higher risk patients with heart failure (HF), based on evidence from observational studies and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) indicating it as safe and beneficial in terms of quality of life, AF recurrence and hospital readmissions in the short-to-middle term. However, the RCTs so far have been relatively small with short follow-up, and few larger trials with long follow-up inconclusive about hard outcomes for large patient crossover undermining the robustness of the results. Importantly, most RCTs involved HF patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (HFrEF). In contrast, most observational studies show that the majority of ablated HF patients in clinical practice have a preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), a condition representing roughly half of all HF patients. This article provides an overview of the available scientific evidence in this clinical field and examines the current guideline recommendations. In the absence of robust evidence-based research, the recommendations on AFA in HF may be inconsistent or abstain from taking firm positions, particularly regarding AFA in HFpEF. There is need for clinical research in such a surprisingly orphan setting, in parallel with the current attempts to sort out the knotty question of the HF phenotypes, in particular, again, of the HFpEF phenotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the greater prevalence of chronic hepatitis B infection, liver tumor is especially popular in China. In China, it is the 4th most prevalent tumor and the 3rd main reason for cancer fatalities. Hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) account for more than 91% of every liver tumor case, and chemotherapy and immunotherapy are the better therapy choices. It is a serious threat to the lives and health of Chinese citizens. Patients diagnosed with liver tumors have a bad prognosis. Surgical resection, liver transplantation, chemotherapeutic embolization, and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) are all choices for patients who are detected early. More effective therapies can result in a better prognosis. This paper analyzes the clinical efficiency of interventional transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) integrated with monopolar radiofrequency ablation (RFA) on patients with a liver tumor. Initially, the dataset is collected and the patients are treated with combined TACE and RFA. The computed tomography (CT) images are obtained using three-phase CT imaging. The images are segmented using adaptive U-Net-based segmentation. The clinical efficiency of the patients is evaluated using Robust Residual Convolutional Neural Network (RR-CNN) which is optimized using Firefly Particle Swarm Optimization (FPSO) algorithm. The performance of the system is analyzed using the MATLAB simulation tool. In performance analysis, the proposed method of RR-CNN is high when compared to the existing method of CNN, logistic regression using genetic algorithm and KNN in overall parameters are accuracy, sensitivity, F 1 -score, and specificity. These integrated treatments have a suggested greater response frequency, indicating a synergistic impact by combination treatment in the initial stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The family of painful osteocytic tumors includes osteoblastomas and osteoid osteomas—these lesions are considered benign, but they could produce a significant painful symptomatology. Usually, people affected are between 20 s and 30 s. When symptomatic, an effective treatment is mandatory for the management of these lesions to allow for a ful quality of life. The possibilities of treatment range from chirurgical en-block resection (procedure of surgical oncology aiming to remove a tumoral mass in its entirety, completely surrounded by a continuous layer of healthy tissue) to interventional approaches that, nowadays, are considered the most affordable and sustainable in terms of effectiveness, recovery after procedure, and for bone structure sparing. The main techniques used for osteoid osteomas and osteoblastomas are radio frequency ablation (RFA) and magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS): the most important difference between these approaches is the needleless approach of MRgFUS, which further reduces the minimal invasiveness of RFA (and the related consequences) and the absence of exposure to ionizing radiation. Despite their high efficacy, a recurrence of pathology may occur due to a failure in therapy. In light of this, describing the various possibilities of follow up protocols and the imaging aspects of recurrence or incomplete treatment is mandatory. In the scenario given in the literature, many authors have tried to asses an organized follow up protocol of these patients, but many of them did not undergo periodical magnetic resonance (MR) or computerized tomography (CT) because of the lack of symptomatology. However, even if it seems that clinical evolution is central, different papers describe the protocol useful to detect eventual relapse. The aim of our manuscript is to review the various possibilities of follow-up of these patients and to bring together the most salient aspects found during the management of these osteocytic bone lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past 50 years, pediatric and congenital electrophysiology has progressed from a rare subspecialty practiced at just a handful of centers to become an essential part of nearly every congenital heart program the world over. This paper traces the evolution of the subspecialty in North America by recognizing the individuals who dedicated their careers to this field and trained subsequent generations of practitioners, thereby establishing a legacy that insures continued progress in the treatment of arrhythmias for children and patients with congenital heart disease. Data were generated from a survey of the current membership of the Pediatric and Congenital Electrophysiology Society and were supplemented by review of archived Society records. Maps depicting the locations for clinicians and training centers over time provide a graphic display of progress in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates the efficacy and safety of repeat hepatic resection and radiofrequency ablation in the treatment of recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma We retrieved and collected all relevant articles from the inception to 8 March 2020. After data extraction, we conducted meta-analysis and carried out the heterogeneity test, sensitivity analysis, and publication bias test to evaluate reliability A total of 12 studies with 1746 patients (rHR 837, RFA 909) were included. rHR was similar to RFA in a one-year overall survival rate (OS), while rHR was superior to RFA in 3- and 5-year OS and 1-, 3-, and 5-year disease-free survival rates (DFS), but the procedure-related complications of RFA were significantly less than those of rHR. Among the subgroups with Milan criteria, rHR was similar to RFA in 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS and 1-year DFS, but superior to RFA in 3- and 5-year DFS. RFA is the first choice for recurrent HCC meeting Milan criteria. When it does not meet the Milan criteria, minimally invasive treatment should not be carried out at the cost of survival, and rHR should be the first choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Temperature distribution within a spinal musculature has been predicted using a novel approach based on deep neural networks. • Spatial and temporal tissue temperature distribution is predicted for bipolar RFA applications. • Using the proposed approach, reduction in computational time compared to FE simulations were achieved. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of the medial branch nerve is a widely used therapeutic intervention for facet joint pain. However, denervation of the multifidus muscle is an inevitable consequence of RFA. New ablation techniques with the potential to prevent muscle denervation can be designed using computational simulations. However, depending on the complexity of the model, they could be computationally expensive. As an alternative approach, deep neural networks (DNNs) can be used to predict tissue temperature during RFA procedure. The objective of this paper is to predict the tissue spatial and temporal temperature distributions during RFA using DNNs. First, finite element (FE) models with a range of distances between the probes were run to obtain the temperature readings. The measured temperatures were then used to train the DNNs that predict the spatio-temporal temperature distribution within the tissue. Finally, a separate data obtained from FE simulations were used to test the efficacy of the network. The results presented in this paper demonstrate that the network can achieve an error rate as low as 0.05%, accompanied by a 92% reduction in time compared to FE simulations. The approach proposed in this study will play a major role in the design of new RFA treatments for facet joint pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal ablation is a form of hyperthermia in which oncologic control can be achieved by briefly inducing elevated temperatures, typically in the range 50–80°C, within a target tissue. Ablation modalities include high intensity focused ultrasound, radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation, and laser interstitial thermal therapy which are all capable of generating confined zones of tissue destruction, resulting in fewer complications than conventional cancer therapies. Oncologic control is contingent upon achieving predefined coagulation zones; therefore, intraoperative assessment of treatment progress is highly desirable. Consequently, there is a growing interest in the development of ablation monitoring modalities. The first section of this review presents the mechanism of action and common applications of the primary ablation modalities. The following section outlines the state‐of‐the‐art in thermal dosimetry which includes interstitial thermal probes and radiologic imaging. Both the physical mechanism of measurement and clinical or pre‐clinical performance are discussed for each ablation modality. Thermal dosimetry must be coupled with a thermal damage model as outlined in Section 4. These models estimate cell death based on temperature‐time history and are inherently tissue specific. In the absence of a reliable thermal model, the utility of thermal monitoring is greatly reduced. The final section of this review paper covers technologies that have been developed to directly assess tissue conditions. These approaches include visualization of non‐perfused tissue with contrast‐enhanced imaging, assessment of tissue mechanical properties using ultrasound and magnetic resonance elastography, and finally interrogation of tissue optical properties with interstitial probes. In summary, monitoring thermal ablation is critical for consistent clinical success and many promising technologies are under development but an optimal solution has yet to achieve widespread adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the low accuracy of traditional three-dimensional fusion technology in radiofrequency ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma, this paper studies the advantages of three-dimensional CT fusion technology over traditional two-dimensional imaging technology in preoperative visualization and radiofrequency ablation path selection of hepatocellular carcinoma. To study the prognostic differences of hepatocellular carcinoma patients with different ablation margins (AM) in the three groups, so as to explore the best AM value, so as to minimize the liver injury caused by radiofrequency ablation. The selected patients underwent CT plain scan and three-phase enhancement at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after operation and were rechecked every 6 months. For recurrent patients, CT was rechecked every three months. The images were obtained by GE 64-slice spiral CT. The thickness of the reconstruction layer is 1 mm, and the interval is 1 mm. The reconstructed image is imported into 3D fusion software. The three-dimensional images of tumor focus, hepatic artery, portal vein, and hepatic vein were reconstructed by two experienced doctors by superimposing the saved tumor images, merging the vascular images into the display, and measuring the ablation boundary (AM value). The results showed that the recurrence rate in group A was higher than that in group B (P = 0.041), and there was no significant difference between group B and group C (P = 1.000). Compared with traditional two-dimensional imaging, three-dimensional CT fusion technology can display the anatomical structure and three-dimensional spatial relationship of tumors and blood vessels and select the best radiofrequency ablation path, so as to achieve accurate radiofrequency ablation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]