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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Oncol.
Sec. Gynecological Oncology
Volume 14 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1451626
This article is part of the Research Topic Uterine Fibroid Surgery in Gynecology and Obstetrics and Reproduction: Lights and Shadows View all 8 articles

Sonographic Features of Uterine Fibroids that Predict the Ablation Rate and Efficacy of High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound

Provisionally accepted
Hailan Xue Hailan Xue 1,2*Wu Songsong Wu Songsong 2Kunhong Xiao Kunhong Xiao 3Guisheng Ding Guisheng Ding 2*Sheng Chen Sheng Chen 4*
  • 1 Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
  • 2 Shengli Clinical Medical College, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
  • 3 Department of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
  • 4 Department of Ultrasound, Union Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Objective: This study aimed to identify the sonographic indicators that predict the ablation rate and efficiency of uterine fibroids during high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment. Methods: In this retrospective study, we analyzed the clinical data of patients with uterine fibroids who underwent HIFU treatment at Fujian Provincial Hospital between April 2019 and April 2022. Routine abdominal ultrasound examinations were performed to observe potential indicators before the HIFU treatment. After the treatment, enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination was performed within 2 weeks. The fibroid and non-perfused volumes (NPV) were determined, and the ablation rate and energy efficiency factor (EEF) were calculated. Results: A total of 75 patients (124 uterine fibroids) were included in this study. Uterine fibroids with a larger volume, high echogenicity, elliptical/diffuse leaf shape, and a posterior attenuation band had a higher HIFU ablation rate (p＜0.05). Uterine fibroids with a larger volume and high echogenicity and without necrotic areas had a lower EEF (p＜0.05). Multiple comparisons between fibroid types revealed statistically significant differences in EEF between subserosal and submucosal fibroids (p < 0.05) and between subserosal and mixed-type fibroids (p < 0.05). However, no statistically significant difference was observed between mixed-type and submucosal fibroids. The HIFU ablation rate and EEF showed no significant differences based on location within the wall and blood flow within the fibroids. Conclusion: Sonographic features of uterine fibroids can predict the rate and efficiency of HIFU ablation, providing useful guidance in selecting appropriate treatment for patients.

    Keywords: Uterine fibroids, sonographic features, High-intensity focused ultrasound, Ablation rate, Energy efficiency factor

    Received: 19 Jun 2024; Accepted: 30 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Xue, Songsong, Xiao, Ding and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Hailan Xue, Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian Province, China
    Guisheng Ding, Shengli Clinical Medical College, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
    Sheng Chen, Department of Ultrasound, Union Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.