Ultrasound-Guided Moving Shot Radiofrequency Ablation of Benign Soft Tissue Neoplasm

• Main Authors: Wei-Che Lin, Yi-Fan Tai, Meng-Hsiang Chen, Sheng-Dean Luo, Faye Huang, Wei-Chih Chen, Pi-Ling Chiang, Hsiu-Ling Chen, Mei-Hsiu Chen, Jung-Hwan Baek
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-08-01
• Series: Medicina
• Subjects: radiofrequency ablation; benign soft tissue neoplasm; cosmetic issue; volume reduction; anesthesia
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/57/8/830
• ISSN: 1010-660X; 1648-9144

<i>Background and Objective</i>: To evaluate the effectiveness of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) using the moving-shot technique for benign soft tissue neoplasm. <i>Materials and Methods</i>: This retrospective study reviewed eight patients with benign soft tissue neoplasm presenting with cosmetic concerns and/or symptomatic issues who refused surgery. Six patients had vascular malformation, including four with venous malformation and two with congenital hemangioma. The other two patients had neurofibroma. All patients underwent RFA using the moving-shot technique. Imaging and clinical follow-up were performed in all patients. Follow-up image modalities included ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. The volume reduction ratio (VRR), cosmetic scale (CS), and complications were evaluated. <i>Results</i>: Among the seven patients having received single-stage RFA, there were significant volume reductions between baseline (33.3 ± 21.2 cm³), midterm follow-up (5.1 ± 3.8 cm³, <i>p</i> = 0.020), and final follow-up (3.6 ± 1.4 cm³, <i>p</i> = 0.022) volumes. The VRR was 84.5 ± 9.2% at final follow-up. There were also significant improvements in the CS (from 3.71 to 1.57, <i>p</i> = 0.017). The remaining patient, in the process of a scheduled two-stage RFA, had a 33.8% VRR after the first RFA. The overall VRR among the eight patients was 77.5%. No complications or re-growth of the targeted lesions were noted during the follow-up period. Of the eight patients, two received RFA under local anesthesia, while the other six patients were under general anesthesia. <i>Conclusions</i>: RFA using the moving-shot technique is an effective, safe, and minimally invasive treatment for benign soft tissue neoplasms, achieving mass volume reduction within 6 months and significant esthetic improvement, either with local anesthesia or with general anesthesia under certain conditions.