Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography follow-up after radiofrequency ablation in normal rabbit kidney

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of SonoVue-enhanced ultrasonography in the follow-up of rabbit kidney lesions induced by percutaneous radiofrequency ablation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: New Zealand rabbits (28) underwent percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) to generate renal lesions. Lesions were evaluated by conventional 2D ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) at 1 day, 1 week, 1 month and 3 months after RFA, and the results were compared to gross pathology. RESULTS: One day and 1 week after RFA, renal lesions were wedge-shaped in the gross dissection cross-sectional profiles. Conventional ultrasound could not indicate the extent of the lesions; however, CEUS could exactly delineate the lesion shape and size. At 1 and 3 months, lesions were observed as hyperechogenic areas on conventional ultrasound, and as small perfusion defects on CEUS. The differences in the lesion measurements obtained by CEUS and in pathological specimens were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The conclusion could be deduced from the study that SonoVue-enhanced ultrasonography was effective for the follow-up of normal rabbit kidney percutaneous radiofrequency ablation.