Renal damage induced by dosorubicin-lipiodol emulsion infused into rabbit renal artery : comparison with CT and histologic findings

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the utility of renal CT scanning and to histologically correlate renal damage induced by renal arterial infusion of 0.2 ml/kg of doxorubicin-lipiodol emulsion. Renal CT scans of 20 rabbit kidneys were obtained 15 days after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization and were classified into four grades, as follows: grade 0 - no fleck, grade 1 - one to three nodular flecks; grade 2 - four or more nodular flecks, or one semilunar fleck; and grade 3 - two or more semilunar flecks. The percentage of histological section occupied by lesion was determined using squared paper, and compared with the grades determined on the basis of CT. The histologic findings were interstitial inflammatory cell infiltration, intratubular lipiodol droplets, dystrophic calcification, and and cellular necrosis. The mean sizes of grade 0, 1, 2 and 3 histological lesions were 2.2 % (n=5), 4.5 % (n=4), 21.9 % (n=7), and 24% (n=4), respectively. Grades 0 and 1 accounted for nine cases (3.2%), while grades 2 and 3 accounted for 11 (22.6%); this difference was statistically significant (p<0.01). CT findings showing nodular or semilunar flecks 15 days after infusion into the renal artery of doxorubicin-lipiodol emulsion correlate with the size of the damaged kidney, as seen on histological specimens. (author). 19 refs., 3 tabs., 5 figs