Uterine arterial embolization for the treatment of uterine leiomyomas: its dynamic imaging monitoring and therapeutic mechanism / 介入放射学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To study the dynamic imaging changes of the uterine leiomyomas before and after uterine arterial embolization (UAE) treatment and to discuss its therapeutic mechanism. Methods Color Doppler senography and both plain and enhanced MR[scanning were performed in 45 patients with uterine leiomyomas before and after UAE. Plain CT scan was performed in all patients after UAE. All the patients were followed up for 3-16 months (average 10±3.5 months). Results In 41 of the total 45 cases, the color Doppler senography showed rich blood flow signals in leiomyomas and myometrium before UAE and no or less blood flow signals in both leiomyomas and myometrium on the first day after UAE. On the seventh day, the blood flow signal was still absent in leiomyomas while it was restored in myometrium, and the same phenomena remained in the first, the third and the twelfth month after UAE. In the other four eases, color Doppler sonography demonstrated blood flow signals inside leiomyomas on the seventh day after UAE and it remained till twelve months after embolization. The embolic agent (Lipiodol) was found in both leiomyomas and myometrium on CT scan for 45 cases on the first day of UAE. CT scan also showed the deposit of the Lipiodol in myometrium, but Lipiodol gradually vanished in leiomyomas at one, three and the twelve months after UAE. The enhancement was apparent in leiomyomas and myometrium on MRI scan in all 45 cases before UAE. The enhancement was found in the myometrium, but not in leiomyomas, on MRI scan in 39 cases 3 months after UAE. The other six cases demonstrated different degrees of enhancement in leinmyomas after embolization. In two cases the detachment of the leiomyomas were observed after embolization and the desquamating materials were pathologicallyproved to be necrotic tissue. The difference in the measuring data about leiomyoma volume between MPI and color Doppler sonography was of no statistical significance (P > 0.05). Conclusion The therapeutic mechanism of UAE for uterine leiomyomas is selectively embolizing the vascular bed of uterus, leading to subsequent necrosis of leiomyomas. The color Doppler sonography should be the fast choice for the dynamic imaging follow-up after UAE.