title: Focused ultrasound treatment of uterine fibroid tumors: safety and feasibility of a noninvasive thermoablative technique.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to determine the safety and efficacy of focused ultrasound surgery with magnetic resonance imaging guidance for the noninvasive treatment of uterine leiomyomas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-five women with clinically significant uterine leiomyomas were treated. Pain and complications were assessed prospectively, and posttreatment magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure the treatment effects. Patients in three of the five centers underwent planned hysterectomy after treatment, which provided pathologic correlation of treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-six percent of the enrolled patients completed the full treatment session. All treatments were conducted in an outpatient setting with minimal discomfort for subjects and no major complications. Pathologic examination of the uterus confirmed that magnetic resonance imaging guidance provides the safe and accurate delivery of effective levels of thermal energy with a 3-fold increase in volume of histologically documented necrosis, compared with treatment volume (6.6 +/- 0.8 vs 18.4 +/- 3.9 mL, P <.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Magnetic resonance imaging-guided focused ultrasound surgery appears to be a well-tolerated treatment for uterine leiomyomas.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Obstetrics, Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. eastwart@partners.org
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: Wladyslaw M W
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Gedroyc
authors.forename: Clare M C
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Tempany
authors.forename: Bradley J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Quade
authors.forename: Yael
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inbar
authors.forename: Tilman
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ehrenstein
authors.forename: Asher
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shushan
authors.forename: Jonathan T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Hindley
authors.forename: Robert D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Goldin
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: David
authors.forename: Miri
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sklair
authors.forename: Jaron
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rabinovici
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000698:Analgesia; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014464:Ultrasonic Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D001569:Benzodiazepines