title: Correlation between uterine fibroids with various magnetic resonance imaging features and therapeutic effects of high-intensity focused ultrasound ablation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the correlation between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of uterine fibroids (UFs) and therapeutic effects of high-intensity focused ultrasound ablation (HIFUA), and to provide evidence for UFs diagnosis with MRI in clinical practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-three UFs patients who were treated in our hospital from April 2012 to June 2014 were selected, including 72 UFs (48 multiple and 24 single UFs). Transverse, sagittal and coronal MRI scanning was performed one week before and after HIFUA to record UF number, location, type (intramural fibroid, submucosal fibroid and subserosal fibroid), mean diameter, hemoperfusion state, volume and ablation rate. The patients were followed up in the postoperative 1st, 2nd and 3rd months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HIFUA exerted the best ablative effect on fibroids on the anterior uterine wall (F=26.763, P=0.036). Various types of fibroids were ablated significantly differently (F=3.406, P<0.05) by HIFUA that was most effective for ablating the subserosal ones. Having significantly different ablative effects on UFs with different radial line lengths (F=29.94, P<0.05), HIFUA ablated those with radial line lengths of 3-5 cm most effectively. For UFs with different T2WI signal intensities, HIFUA also functioned significantly differently (F=3.179, P=0. 03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HIFUA exerted significantly different ablative effects on UFs with various MRI features. Therefore, these features were well correlated with the therapeutic effects of HIFUA, allowing MRI as a promising diagnostic protocol.
authors.affiliation: Hailing Cheng, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Kaifeng 475000, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Hailing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Chen Wang, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Kaifeng 475000, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Jun Tian, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Kaifeng 475000, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tian
keywords: Correlation; High-intensity focused ultrasound ablation; Magnetic resonance imaging; Therapeutic effect; Uterine fibroid