Availability and Utilization of Radiological Guidance Tools in Interventional Radiology Units in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE: Various guidance techniques can be performed under ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT), fluoroscopy, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guidance; They pave the way for simple, intermediate, and complex minimally invasive procedures by improving visualization of the target, the access route, and device progression. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the availability and utilization of radiological guidance tools in interventional radiology units in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This descriptive study was conducted in selected medical facilities in Kinshasa. Data were collected from January 2018 to June 2024 using a structured questionnaire and medical record review. Eligible cases included patients who underwent semi-invasive diagnostic or therapeutic interventional radiology procedures performed under direct imaging guidance, with acceptable hemostatic parameters and documented informed consent. The evaluated outcomes included the type of radiological guidance used, anatomical or disease target, procedure complexity, and procedure-related incidents. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Categorical variables were summarized as frequencies and percentages, and continuous variables were summarized as means and standard deviations when applicable. RESULTS: A total of 471 image-guided interventional radiology procedures were analyzed. The evaluated cases involved a range of anatomical and disease-related targets, including liver, breast, thyroid, prostate, spinal, cervical soft-tissue, splenic, pancreatic, renal, lymph-node, and other abdominal or soft-tissue lesions. Female patients represented 55.3% of the study population. Among the 471 interventional radiology procedures analyzed, age was available for 469 cases. The mean age was 48.2 ± 17.2 years, with a range of 1 to 84 years. Ultrasound was the most frequently used guidance modality, accounting for 384 procedures (81.5%), followed by CT guidance in 63 procedures (13.4%) and fluoroscopic guidance in 24 procedures (5.1%). Cone-beam CT guidance was not used. Simple interventional radiology procedures were the most common, accounting for 327 procedures (69.4%), followed by intermediate procedures in 126 cases (26.8%) and complex procedures in 18 cases (3.8%). CONCLUSION: This study shows that ultrasound guidance remains the most commonly used radiological guidance method in interventional radiology settings in Kinshasa. However, MRI, fluoroscopy-CT, electromagnetic, and cone-beam CT guidance were not used in this series. These findings provide baseline local evidence on current technical capacity and unmet equipment needs, and may help guide future planning and development of interventional radiology services in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.