Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Search in posts
Search in pages
Filter by Categories
15th National Conference of the IAOMFP, Chennai, 2006
Abstract
Abstracts from current literature
Acne in India: Guidelines for management - IAA Consensus Document
Addendum
Announcement
Art & Psychiatry
Article
Articles
Association Activities
Association Notes
Award Article
Book Review
Brief Report
Case Analysis
Case Letter
Case Letters
Case Notes
Case Report
Case Reports
Clinical and Laboratory Investigations
Clinical Article
Clinical Studies
Clinical Study
Commentary
Conference Oration
Conference Summary
Continuing Medical Education
Correspondence
Corrigendum
Cosmetic Dermatology
Cosmetology
Current Best Evidence
Current Issue
Current View
Derma Quest
Dermato Surgery
Dermatopathology
Dermatosurgery Specials
Dispensing Pearl
Do you know?
Drug Dialogues
e-IJDVL
Editor Speaks
Editorial
Editorial Remarks
Editorial Report
Editorial Report - 2007
Editorial report for 2004-2005
Errata
Erratum
Focus
Fourth All India Conference Programme
From Our Book Shelf
From the Desk of Chief Editor
General
Get Set for Net
Get set for the net
Guest Article
Guest Editorial
History
How I Manage?
IADVL Announcement
IADVL Announcements
IJDVL Awards
IJDVL AWARDS 2015
IJDVL Awards 2018
IJDVL Awards 2019
IJDVL Awards 2020
IJDVL International Awards 2018
Images in Clinical Practice
Images in Dermatology
In Memorium
Inaugural Address
Index
Knowledge From World Contemporaries
Leprosy Section
Letter in Response to Previous Publication
Letter to Editor
Letter to the Editor
Letter to the Editor - Case Letter
Letter to the Editor - Letter in Response to Published Article
LETTER TO THE EDITOR - LETTERS IN RESPONSE TO PUBLISHED ARTICLES
Letter to the Editor - Observation Letter
Letter to the Editor - Study Letter
Letter to the Editor - Therapy Letter
Letter to the Editor: Articles in Response to Previously Published Articles
Letters in Response to Previous Publication
Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor - Letter in Response to Previously Published Articles
Letters to the Editor: Case Letters
Letters to the Editor: Letters in Response to Previously Published Articles
Media and news
Medicolegal Window
Messages
Miscellaneous Letter
Musings
Net Case
Net case report
Net Image
Net Images
Net Letter
Net Quiz
Net Study
New Preparations
News
News & Views
Obituary
Observation Letter
Observation Letters
Oration
Original Article
ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTION
Original Contributions
Pattern of Skin Diseases
Pearls
Pediatric Dermatology
Pediatric Rounds
Perspective
Presedential Address
Presidential Address
Presidents Remarks
Quiz
Recommendations
Regret
Report
Report of chief editor
Report of Hon : Treasurer IADVL
Report of Hon. General Secretary IADVL
Research Methdology
Research Methodology
Resident page
Resident's Page
Resident’s Page
Residents' Corner
Residents' Corner
Residents' Page
Retraction
Review
Review Article
Review Articles
Reviewers 2022
Revision Corner
Self Assessment Programme
SEMINAR
Seminar: Chronic Arsenicosis in India
Seminar: HIV Infection
Short Communication
Short Communications
Short Report
Snippets
Special Article
Specialty Interface
Studies
Study Letter
Study Letters
Supplement-Photoprotection
Supplement-Psoriasis
Symposium - Contact Dermatitis
Symposium - Lasers
Symposium - Pediatric Dermatoses
Symposium - Psoriasis
Symposium - Vesicobullous Disorders
SYMPOSIUM - VITILIGO
Symposium Aesthetic Surgery
Symposium Dermatopathology
Symposium-Hair Disorders
Symposium-Nails Part I
Symposium-Nails-Part II
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses
Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis
Tables
Technology
Therapeutic Guideline-IADVL
Therapeutic Guidelines
Therapeutic Guidelines - IADVL
Therapeutics
Therapy
Therapy Letter
Therapy Letters
View Point
Viewpoint
What’s new in Dermatology
Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Search in posts
Search in pages
Filter by Categories
15th National Conference of the IAOMFP, Chennai, 2006
Abstract
Abstracts from current literature
Acne in India: Guidelines for management - IAA Consensus Document
Addendum
Announcement
Art & Psychiatry
Article
Articles
Association Activities
Association Notes
Award Article
Book Review
Brief Report
Case Analysis
Case Letter
Case Letters
Case Notes
Case Report
Case Reports
Clinical and Laboratory Investigations
Clinical Article
Clinical Studies
Clinical Study
Commentary
Conference Oration
Conference Summary
Continuing Medical Education
Correspondence
Corrigendum
Cosmetic Dermatology
Cosmetology
Current Best Evidence
Current Issue
Current View
Derma Quest
Dermato Surgery
Dermatopathology
Dermatosurgery Specials
Dispensing Pearl
Do you know?
Drug Dialogues
e-IJDVL
Editor Speaks
Editorial
Editorial Remarks
Editorial Report
Editorial Report - 2007
Editorial report for 2004-2005
Errata
Erratum
Focus
Fourth All India Conference Programme
From Our Book Shelf
From the Desk of Chief Editor
General
Get Set for Net
Get set for the net
Guest Article
Guest Editorial
History
How I Manage?
IADVL Announcement
IADVL Announcements
IJDVL Awards
IJDVL AWARDS 2015
IJDVL Awards 2018
IJDVL Awards 2019
IJDVL Awards 2020
IJDVL International Awards 2018
Images in Clinical Practice
Images in Dermatology
In Memorium
Inaugural Address
Index
Knowledge From World Contemporaries
Leprosy Section
Letter in Response to Previous Publication
Letter to Editor
Letter to the Editor
Letter to the Editor - Case Letter
Letter to the Editor - Letter in Response to Published Article
LETTER TO THE EDITOR - LETTERS IN RESPONSE TO PUBLISHED ARTICLES
Letter to the Editor - Observation Letter
Letter to the Editor - Study Letter
Letter to the Editor - Therapy Letter
Letter to the Editor: Articles in Response to Previously Published Articles
Letters in Response to Previous Publication
Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor - Letter in Response to Previously Published Articles
Letters to the Editor: Case Letters
Letters to the Editor: Letters in Response to Previously Published Articles
Media and news
Medicolegal Window
Messages
Miscellaneous Letter
Musings
Net Case
Net case report
Net Image
Net Images
Net Letter
Net Quiz
Net Study
New Preparations
News
News & Views
Obituary
Observation Letter
Observation Letters
Oration
Original Article
ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTION
Original Contributions
Pattern of Skin Diseases
Pearls
Pediatric Dermatology
Pediatric Rounds
Perspective
Presedential Address
Presidential Address
Presidents Remarks
Quiz
Recommendations
Regret
Report
Report of chief editor
Report of Hon : Treasurer IADVL
Report of Hon. General Secretary IADVL
Research Methdology
Research Methodology
Resident page
Resident's Page
Resident’s Page
Residents' Corner
Residents' Corner
Residents' Page
Retraction
Review
Review Article
Review Articles
Reviewers 2022
Revision Corner
Self Assessment Programme
SEMINAR
Seminar: Chronic Arsenicosis in India
Seminar: HIV Infection
Short Communication
Short Communications
Short Report
Snippets
Special Article
Specialty Interface
Studies
Study Letter
Study Letters
Supplement-Photoprotection
Supplement-Psoriasis
Symposium - Contact Dermatitis
Symposium - Lasers
Symposium - Pediatric Dermatoses
Symposium - Psoriasis
Symposium - Vesicobullous Disorders
SYMPOSIUM - VITILIGO
Symposium Aesthetic Surgery
Symposium Dermatopathology
Symposium-Hair Disorders
Symposium-Nails Part I
Symposium-Nails-Part II
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses
Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis
Tables
Technology
Therapeutic Guideline-IADVL
Therapeutic Guidelines
Therapeutic Guidelines - IADVL
Therapeutics
Therapy
Therapy Letter
Therapy Letters
View Point
Viewpoint
What’s new in Dermatology
View/Download PDF

Translate this page into:

Study Letter
87 (
3
); 433-435
doi:
10.25259/IJDVL_565_19
pmid:
33666038

A 4-year multicentric experience of intravenous cannula-based intralesional radiofrequency ablation as an effective and safe office procedure for common cutaneous nodules

Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, AIIMS Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
Department of Dermatology and Venereology, ESIC MedicalCollege and Hospital, Faridabad, Haryana, India

Corresponding author: Dr. Saurabh Singh, Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Basni Phase 2nd, Jodhpur - 342 005, Rajasthan, India. saurabhdoc@yahoo.co.in

Licence
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-Share Alike 4.0 License, which allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work non-commercially, as long as the author is credited and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms.

How to cite this article: Singh S, Passi S. A 4-year multicentric experience of intravenous cannula-based intralesional radiofrequency ablation as an effective and safe office procedure for common cutaneous nodules. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol 2021;87:433-5.

Sir,

Radiofrequency surgery generates heat which may cause collateral damage responsible for side effects. A solution to this problem has been the availability of insulated radiofrequency probes which have been primarily utilized outside the domain of dermatology. Innovation in this regard has been intralesional radiofrequency utilizing the conventional radiofrequency probes and intravenous cannula,1-3 but we feel it has not been examined well in literature.

A retrospective file review was performed for patients with predominantly deep dermal lesions of non-infective, cystic or vascular nature, operated at 2 centres (Primarily operated by SS. SP helped intraoperatively and collected follow up data at ESIC center) between August 2014 and September 2018 who had consented for the minimally invasive method as an alternative over conventional surgical excision. Only those patients who completed at least 1 post-operative follow-up visit were included. All intralesional radiofrequency procedures were performed under local anaesthesia. The procedure of intralesional radiofrequency was basically performed as per the previously published report,1 with some improvisations. Using a 15-number surgical blade, a small window was created in the plastic sheath of an intravenous cannula. This cannula, intact with the metallic trocar, was then inserted inside the lesion until appropriate depth so that the window remained outside the tissue. The cannula was initially inserted to its maximum insulated length, radiofrequency energy coagulation mode was delivered by touching the probe to the exposed window and then cannula was withdrawn gradually [Video 1]. A fine crackling sound and bubbles with tissue fluid inside the cannula indicated coagulation of dermal tissue by radiofrequency energy which occurred throughout the procedure.

Overall, 24 patients (male : female = 1.4) with a mean age of 29.6 ± 15.3 years and with various diagnoses underwent the procedure. The relevant median values of the studied patients are mentioned in Table 1. A pre-operative radiological evaluation was done in the form of sonography for lesions deeper than 1–2 centimeters (1 sebaceous cyst and 1 ganglion), doppler ultrasound scan for swellings of vascular nature (2 lymphatico-venous malformations) and a magnetic resonance imaging (1 lymphangioma circumscriptum). The cannula insertion techniques to cover the lesion in entirety included multiple pass ‘fanning’ and ‘cross-hatching’, each pass lasting 5 to 10 seconds followed by a brief thaw period of 1-2 seconds. Endpoint of intralesional radiofrequency was either complete coverage with a palpable rise in surface temperature or blanching of superficial skin with peau d’orange appearance which indicated that cannula had reached the dermoepidermal junction. Using an 18 gauge needle-stab puncture, the contents of ganglions and sebaceous cysts were expressed out gently, as far as possible, before intralesional radiofrequency. For pyogenic granulomas, the intralesional radiofrequency was performed through adjoining normal skin directed to the base of the lesion, following which lesion was shaved off using cutting mode.

Table 1: Clinical details of 24 patients who underwent intralesional radiofrequency
Diagnosis Site Total patients Median
disease duration (Months)
IQR Median
radiofrequency sittings
IQR Median
follow up (Months)
IQR Median
PGA
IQR Median
IGA
IQR
Ganglion Foot, wrist, ankle 5 5 101.5 1 0 4 2.5 10 2.5 10 3.5
Sebaceous cyst Back, cheek, forehead, eyebrow 5 12 75 2 0.5 7 11 9 3 9 3.5
Pyogenic granuloma Scalp, nail bed, cheek 5 2 3.25 1 0 7 16.5 10 0 10 0
Lymphatic malformation Buttock, groin, pubis, thigh 4 180 342 2 2 18 11 9 2 9 2.5
Acne cyst Cheek 3 6 9 1 0 18 3 10 0 10 0
Hypertrophic/Keloidal Scar Temple, presternal 2 34 53 1.5 1 10 10 8 4 7.5 5

Mean number of intralesional radiofrequency sessions was 1.25 ± 0.6 (1 to 3). The improvement was recorded on a scale of 0 to 10 (latter meaning complete remission) by both patients and physicians. The patients reported significant relief and reported mean improvement to be 9.1 ± 1.3 and that by physicians was reported was 8.9 ± 1.7 [Figures 1-3]. Patients were followed up for a mean period of 9.1 ± 5.8 months and 4 patients showed recurrence (2 ganglions and 2 sebaceous cysts) after 3 to 5 months of intralesional radiofrequency. Overall, the vascular lesions and acne cysts benefitted the most. On the whole, the therapy was well tolerated with minor side effects like mild atrophic scarring in 3 patients and hyperpigmentation in 2. None of the patients developed hypopigmentation or depigmentation.

Pyogenic granuloma on scalp
Figure 1a:
Pyogenic granuloma on scalp
After being subjected to intralesional radiofrequency, appearing shrunken and blanched
Figure 1b:
After being subjected to intralesional radiofrequency, appearing shrunken and blanched
At 14 months follow-up after intralesional radiofrequency and superficial shave radiofrequency
Figure 1c:
At 14 months follow-up after intralesional radiofrequency and superficial shave radiofrequency
Ganglion on right wrist
Figure 2a:
Ganglion on right wrist
At 6 months follow-up after a single sitting of intralesional radiofrequency, lesion subsided by >90%
Figure 2b:
At 6 months follow-up after a single sitting of intralesional radiofrequency, lesion subsided by >90%
Lymphangiectasias on the pubic area
Figure 3a:
Lymphangiectasias on the pubic area
At 14 months follow-up after 2 sittings of intralesional radiofrequency, lesions resolved significantly without scarring or recurrence
Figure 3b:
At 14 months follow-up after 2 sittings of intralesional radiofrequency, lesions resolved significantly without scarring or recurrence

Intralesional radiofrequency is still evolving and various studies have used different methods ranging from a surface application for venous malformations, inserting insulated probes in keloids to inserting uninsulated hypodermic needles in angiolymphoid hyperplasia.4-6 This particular technique is inexpensive and minimizes operative scars in the management of innocuous swellings of aesthetic concern and previous reports highlight the same.1-3

The only prior literature on intralesional radiofrequency using similar technique differs from our study with lower mean patient and physician scores (7.6 ± 2.22 and 7.3 ± 2.42), the higher number of radiofrequency sessions used (2.26 ± 1.61), with a longer follow-up (11.4 ± 11.6 months) and lower recurrence (1 case). We used a palpable rise in temperature or blanching of skin as an endpoint whereas Subhadarshani et al. used the induration of lesion as the endpoint for stopping radiofrequency.3 We, in addition, ensured complete coverage of lesions using techniques like fanning and cross-hatching.

Even though intralesional radiofrequency technique has an inherent disadvantage as it is a blind procedure and simultaneously occupies both hands to hold the intravenous cannula and radiofrequency probe, it is mastered easily with practice. A small number of cases was another limitation of our study. Radiological guidance like pre-operative or intra-operative ultrasound may enhance the results with this technique.

Acknowledgement

We would like to thank the faculty colleagues and residents of department of dermatology at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, for rendering help with patient care.

Declaration of patient consent

The authors certify that they have obtained all appropriate patient consent.

Financial support and sponsorship

Nil.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.

References

  1. , , , , , . Intralesional radiofrequency ablation for nodular angiolymphoid hyperplasia on forehead: A minimally invasive approach. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. 2014;80:419-21.
    [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. , , , , . Efficacy and safety of a novel method of insulated intralesional radiofrequency ablation for deep dermal and subcutaneous lesions: A 3 year institutional experience. Dermatol Surg. 2018;44:714-20.
    [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. , , , . Angiolymphoid hyperplasia of external ear treated with intralesional radiofrequency ablation. BMJ Case Rep. 2018;2018:bcr2017223447.
    [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. , , . Intralesional radiofrequency in venous malformations. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2015;53:213-6.
    [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. , , , . Radiofrequency tissue volume reduction for treatment of auricle keloids. Laryngoscope. 2011;121:1233-6.
    [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. , , , . Angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia showing promising result with intralesional radio frequency ablation therapy: A new cost effective and hassle free modality of treatment. J Cutan Aesthet Surg. 2016;9:281-3.
    [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Fulltext Views
3,905

PDF downloads
1,720
View/Download PDF
Download Citations
BibTeX
RIS
Show Sections