MR-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (MR-HIFU) appears to provide safe, successful treatment of osteoid osteoma in children and young adults, according to a study published online August 17 in the Journal of Pediatrics.
Researchers at Children's National Health System in Washington, DC, compared nine patients ages 6 to 16 years who were treated for the benign but painful tumor with nine control subjects ages 6 to 10 years. The control group received the current standard treatment of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) surgery.
CT-guided RFA requires drilling through muscle and soft tissue into bone, and it exposes patients and clinicians to radiation. In contrast, HIFU therapy uses focused sound-wave energy to heat and destroy the targeted tumor under MRI guidance.
In the U.S., MR-HIFU is used to treat uterine fibroids and painful bone metastases from several types of cancer in adults, but it has not been used in children.
In the study, the researchers found that MR-HIFU successfully eliminated the need for the incisions or exposure to ionizing radiation associated with the RFA procedure. MR-HIFU also reduces the risk of complications such as infections and bone fractures, and it can be completed in 90 minutes or less.
The group concluded that MR-HIFU can be performed safely with clinical improvement comparable to that of RFA, principal investigator Dr. Karun Sharma, PhD, said in a statement.
