title: Prediction of early response to uterine artery embolization in fibroids: value of MR signal intensity ratio.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To quantitatively assess magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings that help predict early post-therapeutic response in fibroids following uterine artery embolization (UAE).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen patients with a total of 52 fibroids underwent UAE. The signal intensity ratio (SIR) on T1-, T2-, diffusion weighted and gadolinium-enhanced images was calculated by dividing the mean signal intensity of fibroids by that of the abdominal rectus muscle. Fibroids were divided into the two groups: affected (post-UAE volume reduction rate>median of all fibroids) and unaffected (<median rate). The SIRs were compared between the two groups. ROC analysis was used to evaluate the predictive performance for differentiating the affected from unaffected lesions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The SIRs of the affected group were significantly lower on T1-weighted images (0.85±0.1 vs 0.95±0.2) (P=0.0001), but higher on T2-weighted (1.30±0.6 vs 1.12±0.9) (P=0.026) and gadolinium-enhanced images (1.51±0.2 vs 1.20±0.4) (P=0.0002) than those of the unaffected group. There was no significant difference in ADC values between the two groups (P=0.510). The sensitivity, specificity, and area under the ROC curve (AUC) in the prediction of the affected lesions were 92%, 50%, and 0.712 with SIR on T1-weighted images, and 85%, 62%, and 0.731 with SIR on gadolinium-enhanced images, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The SIRs on T1-weighted images and gadolinium-enhanced images were useful for the prediction of the changes in size of fibroids responding to UAE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Gifu University Hospital, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1194, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Noda
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Gifu University Hospital, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1194, Japan; Department of Radiology Services, Gifu University Hospital, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1194, Japan. Electronic address: masa_gif@yahoo.co.jp.
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kanematsu
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Gifu University Hospital, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1194, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goshima
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Gifu University Hospital, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1194, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Gifu University Hospital, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1194, Japan.
authors.forename: Haruo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Gifu University Hospital, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1194, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawada
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Gifu University Hospital, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1194, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kawai
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Gifu University Hospital, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1194, Japan.
authors.forename: Yukichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tanahashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Kyongtae T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Bae
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019540:Area Under Curve; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated; D012372:ROC Curve; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055357:Uterine Artery Embolization
keywords: Magnetic resonance imaging; Signal intensity ratio; Uterine artery embolization; Uterine fibroid