Background: High frequency thermotherapy (HFTT) is an established palliative therapy for hepatic malignancies. An in vivo and in vitro trial examined the preconditions for the application of HFTT with liquid-cooled wet electrodes for minimally invasive palliation of head and neck tumors.
Material and method: HFTT was applied with needle electrodes, cooled with isotonic saline solution, and a high-frequency generator (Elektrotom HiTT 106, Berchtold, Tuttlingen) to porcine tongue and narcotized, juvenile domestic pigs to the tongue and neck, and monitored in realtime by B-mode ultrasound.
Results: The direction of spread of the hyperthermic zone is well observed using ultrasound. Determining the direction of spread is not possible with cooled-tip electrode needles. Severe complications were not observed during the application.
Conclusion: RFA with liquid-cooled needle applicators is not safely applicable for the therapy of head and neck tumors.