Analysis of Morphological and Morphometric Changes in a Parenchymal Tissue after the Radiofrequency Ablation Procedure

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Prostate cancer is on the rise in the European Union, and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is one of the minimally invasive treatment options used for its treatment. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate and analyze the effects of RFA on prostate tissues. Materials and Methods: A standard prostate RFA procedure was performed on 13 non-purebred dogs in three sessions: no cooling (NC), cooling with a 0.1% NaCl solution (C.01), and cooling using a 0.9% NaCl solution (C.09). Microtome-cut 2–3 µm sections of prostate samples were stained with hematoxylin and eosin and further examined. Results: A histopathologic evaluation identified four zones of exposure: direct, application, necrosis, and transitional, as the damage on tissues decreased going further from the ablation site. The areas and perimeters of these zones were calculated, and geometric shapes of ablative lesions were evaluated using the quotient formula. Areas and perimeters of prostate tissue lesions in the NC and C.09 sessions were of similar size, whereas those found in C.01 were statistically significantly smaller. Lesions observed in session C.01 were of the most regular geometric shape, while the most irregular ones were found in session C.09. The shapes of lesions closest to the ablation electrode were the most irregular, becoming more regular the further away from the electrode they were. Conclusions: Prostate RFA leads to tissue damage with distinct morphological zones. Notably, the prostate lesions were the smallest and the most regular in shape after RFA procedures using the 0.1% NaCl cooling solution. It can be argued that smaller ablation sites may result in smaller scars, thus allowing for faster tissue healing if the blood flow and innervation at the ablation site are not compromised.