Iodized oil uptake assessment with cone-beam CT in chemoembolization of small hepatocellular carcinomas

AIM： To evaluate the utility of assessing iodized oil uptake with cone-beam computed tomography （CT） in transarterial chemoembolization （TACE） for small hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）. METHODS： Cone-beam CT provided by a biplane flatpanel detector angiography suite was performed on eighteen patients （sixteen men and two women; 41-76 years; mean age, 58.9 years） directly after TACE for small HCC （26 nodules under 30 mm; mean diameter, 11.9 mm, range, 5-28 mm）. The pre-procedural locations of the tumors were evaluated using triphasic multi-detector row helical computed tomography （MDCT）. The tumor locations on MDCT and the iodized oil uptake by the tumors were analyzed on cone-beam CT and on spot image directly after the procedures. RESULTS： All lesions on preprocedural MDCT were detected using iodized oil uptake in the lesions on conebeam CT （sensitivity 100%, 26/26）. Spot image depictediodized oil uptake in 22 of the lesions （sensitivity 85%）. The degree of iodized oil uptake was overestimated （9%, 2/22） or underestimated （14%, 3/22） on spot image in five nodules compared with that of cone-beam CT. CONCLUSION： Cone-beam CT is a useful and convenient tool for assessing the iodized oil uptake of small hepatic tumors （〈 3 cm） directly after TACE.