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• Clinical Article •
Functional magnetic resonance imaging for evaluating the efficacy of high-intensity focused ultrasound in uterine fibroid treatment
ZHANG Pingping  TANG Wen  HE Xueping  YE Yufeng 

DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.12.021.


[Abstract] Objective To evaluate the efficacy and prognosis of uterine leiomyomas after high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation using dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI).Materials and Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on 116 patients with uterine fibroids who underwent HIFU treatment from January 2023 to December 2024, completed 6 months of postoperative follow-up, and had complete MRI data. Two physicians divided the patients into the adequate ablation group (NPVR ≥ 80%) and the inadequate ablation group (NPVR < 80%) based on the non-perfusion volume ratio (NPVR). The differences in clinical data and MRI parameters between the two groups were analyzed using t-test or chi-square test. In addition, at 6 months after surgery, the two physicians reclassified the patients based on the proportion of residual fibroid volume: the group with residual fibroid tissue ≥ 10% (incomplete ablation) was defined as the regrowth group, and the group with residual fibroid tissue < 10% as the non-growth group. The differences in MRI parameters between the two groups were compared using t-test. Multivariate logistic regression was used to explore the potential predictors of the efficacy of HIFU in the treatment of uterine fibroids.Results Independent sample t-test showed statistically significant differences between groups in subcutaneous fat thickness, dynamic contrast-enhanced signal intensity values, and the number of myoma recurrence cases (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that NPVR (OR = 0.219) and pre-treatment tumor volume (OR = 0.993) were protective factors against myoma recurrence, while myoma signal intensity on T2WI (OR = 8.975) was an independent risk factor. The initial area under the curve (iAUC) at 6 months between the regrowth group and the pre-operative measurement (P < 0.05).Conclusions The iAUC value can effectively predict the risk of residual myoma regrowth after high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation for uterine leiomyomas.
[Keywords] high-intensity focused ultrasound；uterine fibroids；dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging；efficacy prediction；risk factor；prognostic evaluation

ZHANG Pingping1   TANG Wen2   HE Xueping1   YE Yufeng1*  

1 Department of Radiology, Fanyu Central Hospital Affiliated of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 511400, China

2 Department of Radiology, Guangdong Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Guangzhou 510000, China

Corresponding author: YE Y F, E-mail: yeyufengpy@qq.com

Conflicts of interest   None.

Received  2025-06-05
Accepted  2025-12-06
DOI: 10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.12.021
DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.12.021.

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