Efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound for uterine fibroids: a preliminary experience.

The objective of this prospective cohort study was to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided high-intensity focussed ultrasound (HIFU) in the treatment of uterine fibroids. Twenty premenopausal women with symptomatic fibroids underwent ultrasound-guided HIFU therapy. Twenty-two fibroids with a median baseline volume of 127.0 cm3 (range 18.5-481.2 cm3) were treated. The percentages fibroid volume reduction were 46.9 (range -8.8-73.1) at 1-month, 57.4 (-51.5-95.2) at 3-month, 60.1 (-18.9-97.8) at 6-month and 75.9 (-33.7-99.3) at 12-month, after treatment. The modified Uterine Fibroid Symptom and Quality of Life (UFS-QOL) scores were reduced by 40.7% (0-59.3%) at 3-month, 45.5% (0-70.4%) at 6-month and 44.9% (0-71.4%) at 12-month after treatment. Three patients required subsequent surgical interventions. No significant complications were encountered. Ultrasound-guided HIFU appears to be effective and safe for the treatment of symptomatic uterine fibroids in selected patients. Impact statement What is already known on this subject? Ultrasound-guided high-intensity focussed ultrasound (HIFU) is a relatively new uterine-sparing treatment for fibroids. Most clinical reports are from China, which suggest that this treatment is a safe and effective modality. However, in many other countries, HIFU treatment for fibroids, especially using ultrasound as image guidance, is still considered novel with limited clinical experience. What do the results of this s...
Source: Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology - Category: OBGYN Tags: J Obstet Gynaecol Source Type: research