Percutaneous microwave ablation of uterine fibroids: correlation between shrinkage and trend symptoms

Abstract

Purpose

To assess a correlation between the shrinkage of the fibroid and the course of the symptoms.

Material and methods

Fourteen patients with symptomatic uterine leiomyomas (mean fibroid volume: 111.45 cm³) underwent percutaneous microwave ablation. Contrast-enhanced MRI follow-up was performed before and after treatment to evaluate the volume shrinkage. Two scores obtained from the Uterine Fibroids Symptom and Quality of Life questionnaire were used to perform a clinical follow-up to evaluate the symptoms and the quality of life at baseline, and at 3, 6 and 12 months after treatment.

Results

All patients were treated, no complications occurred. During a mean MR follow-up of 8.1 months we observed shrinkage of the fibroids in all patients (mean 70.3 cm³). During 12 months clinical follow-up, we observed a significant improvement of symptoms and an excellent improvement of quality of life (p < .001).

Conclusion

Uterine fibroids percutaneous microwave ablation is a safe tool to obtain a significant improvement in quality of life for all the patients of our cohort.

Keywords:

• Uterine fibroid
• uterine leiomyoma
• percutaneous ablation
• symptoms
• quality of life

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

The present study is a retrospective study

For this type of study formal consent is not required.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Declaration of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.