ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the angioarchitecture and the efficacy of endovascular embolization of uterine fibroids. Methods Bilateral internal iliac and uterine arteriography were performed to domonstrate the angioarchitecture in uterine fibroids with Seldinger technique. The feeding arteries of uterine fibroids were super-selectively embolized. Results The uterine arteries of 30 patients all originated from the iliac arteries of the ipsilateral side. The feeding arteries of uterine fibroids showed bilateral dominance in 16 cases (53%), unilateral dominance in 11 (37%) and unilateral feeding in only 3(10%). All symptoms disappeared after embolization. The fibroids masses decreased averagely by 40% in size at 3-month with ultrasound follow-up, by 55% at 6 months and by 60% at 12 months with a total clinical efficacy of 100%. Conclusions The key to efficacy and prevention of relapse is to understand the angioarchitecture in order to occlude all the pathological vessels in uterine fibroids.