Yoshifumi Noda MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Satoshi Goshima MD, PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Akiko Kato MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Hiroshi Kondo MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Haruo Watanabe MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Hiroshi Kawada MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Nobuyuki Kawai MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Yukichi Tanahashi MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Masayuki Kanematsu MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To assess magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings that help predict early post-therapeutic response in uterine fibroids following uterine artery embolization (UAE).

This retrospective study was approved by our institutional review board and written informed consent was waived. Fifteen patients with a total of 52 symptomatic uterine fibroids underwent UAE. Pelvic MR imaging was performed 1 month before and 3 months after UAE. The signal intensity ratio (SIR) was calculated by dividing the mean signal intensity of uterine fibroids by that of the abdominal rectus muscle. Changes in volume of each fibroid pre- and post-UAE were computed. Fibroids were divided into the two groups: affected (post-UAE volume reduction rate > median of all fibroids) and unaffected (< median rate). The SIRs were compared between the two groups. Multiple regression analysis was performed for the imaging predictors associated with the volume reduction rate. ROC analysis was used to evaluate the predictive performance for differentiating the affected from unaffected lesions.

The SIRs of the affected group were significantly lower on T1-weighted images (P = 0.0001), but higher on the gadolinium-enhanced images (P = 0.0002) than those of the unaffected group. The sensitivity, specificity, and area under the ROC curve (AUC) in the prediction of the affected lesions were 92%, 50%, and 0.712 with SIR on T1-weighted images, and 85%, 62%, and 0.731 with SIR on gadolinium-enhanced images, respectively. No significant difference in sensitivity, specificity, or AUC was found between these two sequences.

The SIRs on T1-weighted images and gadolinium-enhanced images were useful for the prediction of the changes in size of uterine fibroids responding to UAE.

Our study demonstrated the possibility of the prediction of the therapeutic response to UAE even with non-contrast MR imaging.

Noda, Y, Goshima, S, Kato, A, Kondo, H, Watanabe, H, Kawada, H, Kawai, N, Tanahashi, Y, Kanematsu, M, Prediction of Early Response to Uterine Artery Embolization in Fibroids: Value of MR Signal Intensity Ratio.  Radiological Society of North America 2014 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, - ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2014/14006308.html