Image-guided marking techniques in interventional radiology: A review of current evidence

Precise marking of lesions using image-guided techniques is essential, as imprecise targeting of a tumor can result in either insufficient excision/treatment with an increased risk of recurrence, or excessive removal of healthy tissue. Most frequent indications include localization of nonpalpable lesions before surgical resection (i.e., hook-wire localization of pulmonary nodules before video-assisted thoracoscopy) and definite marking of liver metastasis before neoadjuvant therapy. Other indications include marking of hepatocellular carcinomas that are not visible on ultrasound and unenhanced computed tomography before thermal ablation, of bone lesions before surgical excision, and of different visceral tumors before stereotactic radiotherapy. This review presents the different existing indications, assesses their usefulness, gives systematic details on the technique and lastly analyzes the current literature with emphasis on results and complications. (c) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Masson SAS on behalf of Societe francaise de radiologie. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Automated summary

Precise marking of lesions using image-guided techniques is crucial for successful surgical excision, with indications including lung nodules, liver metastasis, and other non-palpable lesions. Image-guided lesion marking can improve treatment outcomes.