Chemical-shift MR imaging of acetic acid during percutaneous chemical ablation therapy: preliminary work

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that chemical-shift magnetic resonance (MR) imaging may be used to map the distribution of acetic acid during percutaneous chemical ablation procedures. Chemical-shift MR imaging was performed with use of standard methods on a 1.5-T scanner. Phantom and ex-vivo data demonstrated focal increases in the observed signal in chemical-shift MR imaging that correlate well with the site of injection. Preliminary study in a patient with hepatoma revealed focal signal at the injection site. These preliminary results suggest that chemical-shift MR imaging may be used to visualize acetic acid distribution during percutaneous chemical ablation procedures.