Objective: To evaluate the heating effect of microwave irradiation on the dog adrenal gland and to assess the clinical feasibility of microwave ablation of adrenal tumours.
Materials and methods: The thermal distribution and histology were evaluated after dog adrenal glands were irradiated at different intensities with microwaves. Irradiation at 70 W for 30 s was also performed after laparotomy, on the adrenal tumour of a patient with primary aldosteronism.
Results: Microwave irradiation at 70 W for 30 s provided a sufficiently high temperature to produce coagulation within a 5 mm radius of the microwave electrode. The adrenal tumor in the patient with primary aldosteronism was coagulated successfully by this dose of microwave irradiation.
Conclusion: Microwave ablation of the adrenal gland may be clinically applicable in the treatment of adrenal tumours.