Dr. Cristiana Ticca, of the Ospedale Niguarda Ca' Granda in Milan, and colleagues investigated the correlation between fibroid volume and patient-reported symptom severity scores in women who had undergone MRgFUS.
The study included 28 women between the ages of 35 and 54 with 32 symptomatic uterine fibroids who had MRgFUS treatment between September 2010 and January 2012. Ticca's group used InSightec's ExAblate 2000 system for the treatments, and the women were followed up at six months and 12 months after the procedure. The team used two questionnaires to assess the women's symptom severity and quality of life before and after the treatment.
After MRgFUS, the volume of the women's fibroids decreased (from 140 cm3 to 102 cm3 at six months and 100 cm3 at 12 months). The women's symptom severity scores decreased from 54 to 25 at six months and 23 at 12 months; their quality-of-life scores increased from 47 to 72 at six months and 73 at 12 months after the procedure.
MRgFUS shrinks uterine fibroids and improves women's quality of life, the team concluded.
