Technological requirements for microwave ablation of adrenal masses

Abstract

Microwave thermal ablation is under consideration for minimally invasive treatment of bilateral adrenal adenomas, symptomatic of Conn's syndrome. Currently available microwave technologies are ill-suited to precise ablation of small adrenal targets. We report on our preliminary computational and experimental efforts towards the design of microwave ablation systems for targeting adrenal masses. Broadband dielectric properties of ex vivo bovine adrenal glands were experimentally measured. Computer simulations demonstrated the feasibility of achieving precise ablation of adrenal lesions with 2.45 GHz systems. Experiments in ex vivo adrenal tissue using a water-cooled 2.45 GHz antenna illustrated the feasibility of heating 10-20 mm adrenal targets with 40 W power applied for 1 min. These preliminary results warrant further investigation and development of microwave technology for precise ablation of adrenal masses.