title: [The study of follow up of percutaneous microwave ablation for uterine fibroids treatment].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the prognosis of fibroid after ultrasound-guidance percutaneous microwave ablation (PMAUF).
  
  
  METHODS
  From Mar. 2007 to Jul.2010 forty uterine fibroids in forty patients with symptoms which were diagnosed in our hospital accepted PMAUF. One day after treatment blood supply within the fibroid was evaluated, by enhanced MRI. The size of fibroid was measured by ultrasonography in one year with 3 months interval, the monthly menstrual of patient was followed and the mass discharge through vagina were collected for pathological examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 40 fibroid nodules, 22 are intramural fibroids, 15 subserosal fibroids and 3 submucosal fibroids. The baseline mean diameter of the fibroids ranged from (3.7 to 9.0) cm, with an average of (6.4 ± 1.5) cm. The mean volume ranged from (14.6 - 341.1) cm(3), with an average of (140.1 ± 87.4) cm(3). Three months after treatment, the anechoic zone was observed within the ablated nodules and disappeared in six to seven months. the echo of ablated zone keep higher than the surrounding tissue, whereas the size of fibroid shrank significantly. Meat tissue was discharged from vagina in 8 patients (2 cases of submucosal fibroids, 6 cases intramural fibroids) in the period of menstrual in 1 - 8 months after ablation. The largest dimension of the discharge was 2.1 cm. Pathological examination confirmed the discharges as necrotic fibroid. The patients with subserosal fibroid had no discharge of necrotic tissue. The fibroid shrink rate was higher in the patients with vaginal discharges than that without vaginal discharges (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  After PMAUF necrotic tissue of submucosal and intramural fibroids can be discharged through vagina, liquefaction in the center of subserosal and intramural fibroids may occur and be absorbed gradually, that may be the main reasons for fibroids reduced significantly or disappearance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Radiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China. zjbch@sina.com
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Bing-Song
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jin-Tao
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Zhen-Cai
authors.initials: ZC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Dong-Mei
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jiang-Yang
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000628:therapy*; D008872:Microwaves / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014464:Ultrasonic Therapy; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*