CT renal arteriography as a novel imaging guidance for the percutaneous ablation of small renal tumors

Purpose: To report procedural data and outcomes of a novel image guidance technique, CT renal arteriography (CTRA), performed to target and ablate small intraparenchymal renal tumors. Materials and methods: We retrospectively analyzed data of 2 patients undergoing CTRA-guided ablation for 3 renal intraparenchymal tumors, from February to March 2023. We previously evaluated tumor visibility with US/CEUS, and in all cases conspicuity was poor, whereas contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) clearly depicted all hypervascular nodules. Our primary endpoint was CTRA-guidance feasibility for renal ablation, defined as the precise probe deployment inside the target tumor. The secondary endpoint was CTRA-guided ablation technical success, intended as the inclusion of the whole tumor inside the necrotic volume, with 5 mm safety margins. RENAL scores, complications, procedural time, dose length product (DLP), serum creatinine variation and hospital stay length were also recorded. Results: A confident deployment of the probe tip inside the nodule was accomplished in all 3 cases, with a 100% of correct targeting. We observed immediate technical success after all 3 ablations. The 3 nodules had a RENAL score <7 points, and we encountered no complications due to line placement or ablation. The average time from preablative to postablative CTRA was 54 min (50–58min), with a DLP of 3632mGy*cm (2807–4458mGy*cm). Serum creatinine didn’t show a significant variation after the procedures; both patients were hospitalized for 2 days. Conclusion: Preliminary data showed that CTRA-guidance might provide unique advantages over conventional CECT-guidance to assist the ablation of small renal intraparenchymal tumor not visualized on US/CEUS.