Expulsion of Fibroids to the Endometrial Cavity after Magnetic Resonance Imaging-guided High Intensity Focused Ultrasound Surgery (MRgFUS) Treatment of Intramural Uterine Fibroids

OBJECTIVES

This report seeks to introduce some cases of the patients who received magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) surgery (MRgFUS)-based intramural uterine fibroids treatment where the post-MRgFUS intramural uterine fibroids decreased in its volume and protruded towards the endometrial cavity to be expelled by hysteroscopy.

METHODS

Of the 157 patients who had received MRgFUS treatment in the Obstetrics and Gynecology of the Hospital from March, 2015 to February, 2016; this study examined 6 of the cases where, after high intensity focused ultrasound treatment, intramural uterine fibroids protruded towards the endometrial cavity to be removed by hysteroscopic myomectomy. The high intensity focused ultrasound utilized in the cases were Philips Achieva 1.5 Tesla MR (Philips Healthcare, Best, The Netherlands) and Sonalleve HIFU system.

RESULTS

The volume of fibroids ranged from 26.0 cm³ to 199.5 cm³, averaging 95.6 cm³. The major axis length ranged from 4.0 cm to 8.2 cm, averaging 6.3 cm. Fibroid location in all of the patients was in intramural uterine before treatment but after the high intensity focused ultrasound treatment, the fibroids were observed to protrude towards the endometrial cavity in at least Day 5 or up to Day 73 to allow hysteroscopic myomectomy.

CONCLUSIONS

In some cases, after an intramural uterine fibroid is treated with MRgFUS, fibroid volume is decreased and the fibroid protrudes towards the endometrial cavity. In this case, hysteroscopic myomectomy can be a useful solution.

Clinical Consideration of Treatment to Ablate Uterine Fibroids with Magnetic Resonance Imaging-guided High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS): Sonalleve

Objectives

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided high intensity focused ultrasound surgery (MRgFUS) is a newly emerging non-invasive technique for the treatment of uterine fibroids. The purpose of this study is to review the clinical impact of MRgFUS.

Methods

This study examined 157 patients. The high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) utilized in this study was Philips Achieva 1.5 Tesla MR (Philips Healthcare, Best, the Netherlands) and Sonalleve HIFU system. The patients were followed in post-operative Month 1, Month 3, and Month 6 to investigate any change. Then, these were further classified according to the use of uterine stimulant (oxytocin) in parallel, Funaki Type of uterine fibroid, HIFU intensity, and non-perfused volume (NPV) ratio.

Results

When the uterine stimulant was utilized, the HIFU intensity was measured at significantly lower levels, compared with the group not using uterine stimulant, and treatment duration was significantly. The NPV ratio was found significantly higher in the group using uterine stimulant. Concerning the correlation between Funaki Type of uterine fibroid and average sonication power, it was found that the closer to Type I, the lower the sonication power, the shorter the treatment duration, and the higher the NPV ratio significantly.

Conclusions

In this study, it was found that the lower the Funaki Types of uterine fibroids, and the higher the NPV ratio immediately after the operation, the larger the uterine fibroid volume decrease and SSS change were. Also, if uterine stimulant was used in parallel in treatment, treatment duration and HIFU intensity could become shorter and lower.

Clinical experience with single-port access laparoscopic cystectomy and myomectomy

Objective

This study was performed to assess our clinical experience with single-port access (SPA) laparoscopic cystectomy and myomectomy and the surgical outcomes of those procedures at our institution.

Methods

The authors evaluated the surgical outcomes of SPA laparoscopic cystectomy in 293 patients and SPA laparoscopic myomectomy in 246 patients. The surgical outcomes comprised operation time, the amount of blood loss during the operation, the change in hemoglobin (before and after the operation), the change in hematocrit (before and after the operation), switching to the multi-port access method, complications, transfusions, and the duration of the postoperative hospital stay.

Results

The Pearson correlation coefficient and the Spearman correlation coefficient between the operation time and the amount of blood loss were 0.312 and 0.321 for SPA laparoscopic cystectomy, respectively, and 0.706 and 0.674 for SPA laparoscopic myomectomy, respectively. The drops in hemoglobin and hematocrit were 1.33±0.78 g/dL and 4.14%±2.45%, respectively, in SPA laparoscopic cystectomy, while the corresponding figures were 1.34±1.13 g/dL and 4.17%±3.24% in SPA laparoscopic myomectomy, respectively.

Conclusion

This study reported the surgical outcomes of SPA laparoscopic cystectomy and myomectomy and compared them to previously published findings on traditional laparoscopic cystectomy and myomectomy. No significant differences were found in the surgical outcomes between SPA and traditional laparoscopic cystectomy and myomectomy.

Clinical analysis of borderline ovarian tumors

PURPOSE

The goal of this study was to evaluate the incidence and clinical features of borderline ovarian tumors (BOTS).

METHODS

We retrospectively performed chart reviews of 22 patients with BOTS who were diagnosed and treated in the university medical center from 1998 to 2009 inclusively.

RESULTS

BOTS among ovarian pathology in our hospital were detected in 22 patients (1.79%). The mean age was 50 years, range (20-90). Post surgical FIGO staging was Stage I = 86.4%, and Stage II = 13.6%. The most common histologic subtype was mucinous (59%). Five patients (22.7%) had a unilocular cyst at ultrasonography. Conservative surgery was performed in 31.8%. One patient of them had normal spontaneous delivery after term pregnancy. Two patients had a recurrence. One patient with recurrent disease underwent transformation to invasive cancer and died 35 months after the initial diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

Clinicians should warn patients about the early relapse of BOTS and these patients may need careful follow-up due to the possibility of recurrences.