Comparative Study of Microwave Ablation and Partial Splenic Embolization in the Management of Hypersplenism

Liver cirrhosis or portal hypertension is frequently associated with congestive splenomegaly resulting in hypersplenism.

Hypersplenism can be defined as anemia, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, or a combination of these resulting from excessive, splenic sequestration or pooling of blood cells, usually associated with clinical splenomegaly and always ameliorated by splenectomy.

Partial splenic embolization (PSE), which was first performed by Spigos et al in 1979, has been considered first-line therapy for hypersplenism in many institutions, and has been proposed as an effective alternative to splenectomy for improving peripheral blood cell counts. However, PSE is associated with many complications, including intermittent fever, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, post-embolization syndrome, splenic abscess, splenic rupture, pneumonia, refractory ascites, pleural effusion and gastrointestinal bleeding. To ensure a sustained and long-term increase in platelet and leucocytic counts, the splenic infarction rate needs to be greater than 50%. Thus, severe complications can ensue.

Thermal ablation methods using different energy sources, such as radiofrequency (RF), microwave (MW), or laser, were developed rapidly as minimally invasive techniques for the eradication of local tumor tissue within solid organs. There have been reports of the use of radiofrequency to ablate normal spleen, splenic injury, and splenomegaly.

Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) had comparable efficacy and a better safety than PSE in the treatment of hypersplenism in patients with post hepatitis c cirrhosis.