Purpose: To identify the more accurate reference data sets for fusion imaging-guided radiofrequency ablation or biopsy of hepatic lesions between computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) images.
Materials and methods: This study was approved by the institutional review board, and written informed consent was received from all patients. Twelve consecutive patients who were referred to assess the feasibility of radiofrequency ablation or biopsy were enrolled. Automatic registration using CT and MR images was performed in each patient. Registration errors during optimal and opposite respiratory phases, time required for image fusion and number of point locks used were compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
Results: The registration errors during optimal respiratory phase were not significantly different between image fusion using CT and MR images as reference data sets (p = 0.969). During opposite respiratory phase, the registration error was smaller with MR images than CT (p = 0.028). The time and the number of points locks needed for complete image fusion were not significantly different between CT and MR images (p = 0.328 and p = 0.317, respectively).
Conclusion: MR images would be more suitable as the reference data set for fusion imaging-guided procedures of focal hepatic lesions than CT images.
Keywords: Automatic registration; Computed tomography; Fusion imaging; Magnetic resonance imaging; Ultrasonography.