The value of artificial pleural effusion for percutaneous microwave ablation of liver tumour in the hepatic dome: A retrospective case-control study

Figures & data

Table I. Baseline characteristics of study population about artificial pleural effusion.

Variable	Datum
Age (years)*	57.8 ± 10.2 (35–82)
Sex ratio
Male	90
Female	12
Categories of tumour
Hepatocellular carcinoma	87
Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma§	2
Metastatic hepatic carcinoma	11
Colorectum^‡	9
Stomach^‡	1
Breast^‡	1
Hepatic haemangioma	1
Hepatic interstitialoma§	1
Tumour size (cm)*	2.5 ± 1.0 (0.7–5.0)
Tumour location
Segment I	3
Segment II	5
Segment IV	13
Segment V	3
Segment VI	7
Segment VII	29
Segment VIII	59
Reason for artificial pleural effusion
Unclearly revealed	84
No proper puncture path	28

Notes: *Data are means ± standard deviation; data in parentheses are ranges.

‡Data are the site of original tumours.

§Data are proved by biopsy.

Figure 1. Flow chart summarising patient selection for the study.

Table II. Baseline characteristics of patients in the two groups.

Parameter	Artificial pleural effusion group	Control group	p
No. of patients	31	31
Male/female ratio	27/4	24/7	0.319
Mean age (years)*	58.7 ± 11.1 (39–86)	55.8 ± 12.5 (33–77)	0.327
Liver cirrhosis			0.373
Child A	24	28
Child B	4	2
No cirrhosis	3	1
Hepatitis			0.553
HBV	23	26
HCV	6	3
No hepatitis	2	2
Pre-treatment serum AFP			0.445
<20 ng/mL	18	15
≥20 ng/mL	13	16
Tumour size (cm)*	2.4 ± 0.9 (1.1–5.0)	2.3 ± 0.8 (1.1–5.0)	0.709
Tumour location			1.000
Segment I	1	1
Segment II	1	1
Segment IV	3	3
Segment VI	2	2
Segment VII	6	6
Segment VIII	18	18
Tumour differentiation‡	16	15	0.915
Good differentiation	5	4
Moderate differentiation	9	9
Poor differentiation	2	1

Notes: *Data are means ± standard deviation; data in parentheses are ranges.

‡Biopsies were performed in 16 patients in the artificial pleural effusion group and 15 patients in the control group.

Figure 2. Images of a 58-year-old man with a 1.8-cm HCC treated by percutaneous MWA with artificial pleural effusion. (a) Contrast-enhanced sonogram showing the hyper-enhancing neoplasm (large arrow) clearly with the artificial pleural effusion (thin arrows) as acoustic window. (b) Sonogram showing the procedure of microwave ablation. Note microwave antenna in index tumour (large arrow) and artificial pleural effusion (thin arrows). (c) Coronal preablation contrast-enhanced MR image shows the hypointense neoplasm in delayed phase (arrows). (d) Coronal contrast-enhanced MR image 1 month after MWA shows the ablation zone (arrows).

Figure 3. Images of a 48-year-old man with a 2.2-cm HCC treated by percutaneous MWA with artificial pleural effusion. (a) Sonogram shows the puncture of the pleural cavity. Note the 16-gauge BD Angiocath needle (arrow). (b) Sonogram shows the hypo-echoic nodule (large arrow) with the artificial pleural effusion (thin arrows). (c) Transverse preablation contrast-enhanced MR image shows the hyperintense neoplasm (arrows) located in the hepatic dome. (d) Transverse arterial phase MR image 1 month after MWA shows no enhancement in the ablation zone (arrow).

Figure 4. (a) Local tumour progression and (b) Tumour-free survival for the artificial pleural effusion group and the control group.