T2 relaxation time predicts effectiveness of MRgHIFU treatment of uterine fibroids

Key clinical point: T2 relaxation time of uterine fibroids (UF) obtained before treatment with magnetic resonance-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (MRgHIFU) was an important predictor of nonperfused volume ratio (NPVr) and outperformed existing T2-weighted imaging methods like Funaki classification.

Major finding: T2 relaxation time correlated negatively with NPVr (correlation coefficient, −0.54; P < .001). The area under the curve value was higher for T2 relaxation time classification (T2 I, 0.69; T2 II, 0.69; and T2 III, 0.84; whole model P = .0019) vs corresponding Funaki classification (Funaki I, 0.57; Funaki II, 0.40; and Funaki III, 0.66; P = 0.56).

Study details: Findings are from a prospective analysis of 30 women with 32 UFs who underwent T2 relaxation time mapping before MRgHIFU treatment.

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Disclosures: This study was funded by The Finnish Cultural Foundation, TYKS Foundation, and Instrumentarium Science Foundation. The authors declared no conflict of interests.

Source: Sainio T et al. Int J Hyperthermia. 2021 Sep 19. doi: 10.1080/02656736.2021.1976850.