Hepatic lesions in the rabbit induced by acoustic cavitation. Tissue damage during shock-wave lithotripsy is presumably secondary to cavitation phenomena involving the collapsus of gas bubbles in a fluid. To enhance shock-wave-related hepatic lesions, intravascular gas microbubbles were administered. Three groups of eight rabbits each received either 500 shock waves focused on the right hepatic lobe (group 1), gas microbubbles as a mixture of 50 cm3 of air with 50 cm3 of gelatin infused through an arterial catheter (group 2), or 500 shock waves and gas microbubbles simultaneously (group 3). In group 1, two animals had two to three subcapsular hepatic hematomas (diameter, less than 5 mm) and five had one to five intraparenchymal hematomas (less than 1 mm). In group 2, a moderate liver congestion was observed in three animals. In group 3, all animals had numerous subcapsular and intraperenchymal hematomas (2-30 mm). The hematomas were centered around the portal spaces, associated with lacunae (0.5-5 mm in diameter). Hematomas were also present on the anterior wall of intraabdominal organs. It was concluded that intravascular infusion of gas microbubbles into the path of a shock-wave generator dramatically enhances tissue damage. This technique, potentially useful in the treatment of hepatic tumors, needs refinement to confine lesions in a more uniform pattern to the targeted parenchyma. 