Abstract
Brachytherapy, a type of radiotherapy, may be used to place radioactive sources into or in close proximity to tumors, providing a method for conformally escalating dose in the tumor and the local area surrounding the malignancy. High-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy of vaginal tumors requires precise placement of multiple needles through holes in a plastic perineal template to deliver treatment while optimizing dose and avoiding overexposure of nearby organs at risk (OARs). Despite the importance of needle placement, image guidance for adaptive, intraoperative needle visualization, allowing misdirected needles to be identified and corrected during insertion, is not standard practice. We have developed a 360-deg three-dimensional (3-D) transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) system using a conventional probe with a template-compatible custom sonolucent vaginal cylinder and propose its use for intraoperative needle guidance during interstitial gynecologic brachytherapy. We describe the 3-D TVUS mechanism and geometric validation, present mock phantom procedure results, and report on needle localization accuracy in patients. For the six patients imaged, landmark anatomical features and all needles were clearly visible. The implementation of 360-deg 3-D TVUS through a sonolucent vaginal cylinder provides a technique for visualizing needles and OARs intraoperatively during interstitial gynecologic brachytherapy, enabling implants to be assessed and providing the potential for image guidance.