title: Potential of minimally invasive procedures in the treatment of uterine fibroids: a focus on magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound therapy.
abstract: Minimally invasive treatment options are an important part of the uterine fibroid-treatment arsenal, especially among younger patients and in those who plan future pregnancies. This article provides an overview of the currently available minimally invasive therapy options, with a special emphasis on a completely noninvasive option: magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS). In this review, we describe the background of MRgFUS, the patient-selection criteria for MRgFUS, and how the procedure is performed. We summarize the published clinical trial results, and review the literature on pregnancy post-MRgFUS and on the cost-effectiveness of MRgFUS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA ; Renal Division, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA ; Biomedical Engineering Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Krisztina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Nathan J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: McDannold
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Clare M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Tempany
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Ferenc A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Jolesz
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA ; Department of Radiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Fiona M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Fennessy
keywords: MRgFUS; focused ultrasound; minimally invasive treatment; uterine fibroids