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Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) is a noninvasive treatment for uterine fibroids that delivers lasting symptom relief, researchers reported this week at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 35th Annual Scientific Meeting in Tampa, Florida.

"MRgFUS is performed transabdominally utilizing ultrasound beams focused to a single spot at a time to generate heat," Dr. Gina K. Hesley explained in an email to Reuters Health. "Anatomic guidance and thermal monitoring are provided by MRI."

Dr. Hesley and her associates at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, followed 125 women scheduled for MRgFUS between 2005 and 2008.

Six women did not complete the treatment due to treatment-related discomfort or pain; 15 were lost to follow-up, and 4 had fibroids removed during surgeries performed for reasons unrelated to fibroid symptoms. Six had hysterectomies and two had myomectomy for their symptoms.

Of 89 patients contacted after 12 months, only 3 reported no improvement in their symptoms, the investigators report in their meeting abstract. Among 69 patients who rated their improvement, 74% said they had "excellent" symptom relief.

Dr. Hesley points out that focused ultrasound is an outpatient procedure performed in one or two 3-hour sessions. Pain is minimal and complications rare, with patients needing only over-the-counter pain medicine following the procedure and able to return to normal activities the next day.

"Myomectomy is similar in that it targets specific fibroids," she said. "However, it is more invasive, thus needing additional recovery time compared to focused ultrasound and has the possibility of specific anesthesia and surgical complications that are not present with focused ultrasound."

Uterine artery embolization, on the other hand, "treats all the fibroids in the uterus. But it is more invasive than focused ultrasound and patients experience more post-procedural pain."

Ideal patients are pre-menopausal women without a large number of fibroids and whose fibroids are likely to be causing their symptoms, such as bleeding, pressure and pain, Dr. Hesley said. Individual fibroids usually need to be at least 3 centimeters in size to be considered for treatment.

"Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound offers patients another treatment option -- one that is non-invasive, has few risks, and allows them to return to their home and work activities quickly," Dr. Hesley concluded.

Source: Reuters Health

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