Fig. 2.

Flow chart of inclusion and exclusion criteria. "Visible on fluoroscopy" was defined when index tumor was radio-opaque enough to be visible on both anteroposterior and lateral projections, and thus could be targeted under biplane fluoroscopy with US guidance. ^*Among 40 referred patients, 37 had single viable HCC around retained iodized oil, while other 3 had 2 or 3 HCCs (including at least one viable HCC around the retained iodized oil), resulting in total of 42 viable HCCs around retained iodized oil and 3 new HCCs. ^†Two patients who had viable HCC around retained iodized oil surrounded by inferior vena cava and right hepatic vein (n = 1) or inadequate electrode path (n = 1) were excluded for percutaneous radiofrequency ablation. ^‡In two patients with multinodular HCCs, although two viable HCCs around retained iodized oil were visible on fluoroscopy, other new HCCs were invisible on US. In remaining one patient, viable HCC around retained iodized oil was invisible on fluoroscopy. Therefore, total of 27 viable HCCs were visible on fluoroscopy, whereas remaining 15 viable HCCs were invisible. HCC = hepatocellular carcinoma, TACE = transcatheter arterial chemoembolization