CT-guided sclerotherapy with ethanol concentration monitoring for treatment of renal cysts.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of our study was to investigate the value of ethanol concentration monitoring for efficacy of CT-guided sclerotherapy of simple renal cysts.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

For the experimental study, ethanol solutions with various concentrations (from 10% to 100% at 10% increments) were scanned with CT; the correlation between the CT density values and different ethanol concentrations in the ethanol solution were analyzed. For the clinical study, a total of 66 consecutive patients with simple renal cysts treated with sclerotherapy were retrospectively studied. Of the 66 patients, 45 (group A) did not have ethanol concentration monitoring, whereas 21 (group B) had ethanol concentration monitoring during the procedure. Treatment results between the two groups were compared 6 months later with follow-up ultrasound.

RESULTS

In the experimental study, there was a linear correlation (r =-0.981) between the CT density values and the ethanol concentration (p < 0.05). In the clinical study, for group A, 25 of 45 patients (55.5%) showed complete regression of the cysts and nine of 45 cases (20%) showed partial regression of the cysts. There was a 24.5% recurrence rate (11/45) in Group A. In group B, 17 of 21 patients (81%) exhibited complete regression of the cyst and four of 21 (19%) showed a partial regression of the cyst. There was no recurrence in Group B.

CONCLUSION

Our in vitro experiment showed a linear correlation between ethanol concentration and CT density values. CT density values can be used to measure ethanol concentration. Ethanol concentration monitoring during the procedure can improve the success rate in CT-guided sclerotherapy for simple renal cysts.