Retrospective review of thoracic neural damage during lung ablation - what the interventional radiologist needs to know about neural thoracic anatomy
- Institut Bergonie, Department of Interventional Radiology (France)
- Centre Hospitalier Pau, Department of Radiology (France)
- Institut Bergonie, Clinical and Epidemiological Research Unit (France)
- CHU Haut Leveque, Department of Radiology (France)
Background and Purpose: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is associated with low neural morbidity compared with surgery, which commonly causes debilitating long-term pain. The purpose was to review the thoracic neural anatomy relevant to percutaneous RFA and to retrospectively review symptomatic nerve injury after lung RFA at our institution. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively examined all symptomatic nerve injuries occurring after computed tomography (CT)-guided RFA treatment of lung tumors for 462 patients/509 procedures/708 lesions treated at our large tertiary referral centre during 10 years. Results: Eight patients experienced neurological complications after heating during the RFA procedure. These complications occurred in the phrenic (n = 1), brachial (n = 3), left recurrent (n = 1), and intercostal nerves (n = 2) and the stellate ganglion (n = 1). Three were grade 2, four grade 3 and one grade 4 injuries (CTCAE v3). Conclusion: Although rare, neurological complications can occur after RFA, and they can occasionally be severe. To prevent these complications, it is important for the interventional radiologist to be aware of the anatomy of nervous structures and to attempt to identify nerves on CT scans during the RFA procedure. Creating a pneumothorax can be useful to avoid nerve damage and related clinical complications.
- OSTI ID:
- 22207971
- Journal Information:
- Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology, Vol. 36, Issue 6; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York and the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe (CIRSE); http://www.springer-ny.com; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0174-1551
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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