Factors Influencing Volumetric MR-HIFU Ablation of Uterine Fibroids

Brief Summary

Magnetic resonance (MR)-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation is increasingly being used worldwide to treat symptomatic uterine fibroids because of its excellent therapeutic efficacy in controlling symptoms and its excellent safety record. Despite the benefits, it should be recognized that MR HIFU ablation does not always yield good therapeutic outcomes. High signal intensity on T2-weighted MR images and a high volume transfer constant (or Ktrans) on dynamic contrast material-enhanced MR images are the most well-known risk factors for poor ablation outcomes as measured with the non-perfused volume (NPV) ratio (ie, NPV divided by fibroid volume). The aim of this study is to assess the influence of fibroid perfusion (evaluated by MRI and contrast enhanced ultrasound), apparent diffusion coefficient (evaluated by MR-diffusion imaging) and fibroid stiffness (evaluated by ARFI) on ablation efficiency during uterine fibroid treatment by MR-HIFU.