1 All authors: Department of Radiological Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, 757 Westwood Blvd, Ste 1638, Los Angeles, CA 90095.
OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of imaging-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for the treatment of Bosniak category III and IV cystic renal lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Our database was searched to assemble a cohort of biopsy-proven malignant Bosniak category III and IV cystic renal lesions that were treated with imaging-guided percutaneous RFA from 2004 to 2012. The clinical history, imaging features, procedural complications, pathologic results, imaging follow-up, and clinical outcomes of each case were reviewed. RESULTS. A total of 16 patients and 23 biopsy-proven malignant cystic renal lesions were included; two patients with von Hippel-Lindau syndrome had four and three treated lesions each, and a patient with multiple renal tumors had three treated lesions. The other 13 patients each had a single lesion. Clinical follow-up ranged from 2 to 110 months (average, 24 months). The primary treatment efficacy of RFA was 91% (21/23 lesions), and the secondary treatment efficacy was 96% (22/23 lesions). A minority of patients experienced partial loss of renal function. There were no complications related to bleeding or tumor seeding. CONCLUSION. Imaging-guided percutaneous RFA is safe and effective for the treatment of Bosniak category III and IV cystic renal lesions.