The role of T1 perfusion-based classification in predicting the outcome of magnetic resonance-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound treatment of adenomyosis.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between magnetic resonance (MR) T1 perfusion-based classification and the outcome of MR-guided high intensity focused ultrasound treatment of adenomyosis, defined as nonperfused volume (NPV) ratio.

METHODS: The adenomyosis of 31 women was classified into group A (time-signal intensity [SI] curve of adenomyosis lower than that of the myometrium) and group B (time-SI curve of adenomyosis equal to or higher than that of the myometrium) on the basis of time-SI curves on dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) MR images acquired at screening. NPV ratios immediately after treatment and adenomyosis volume reduction ratios and symptom severity scores (SSS) at the six-month follow-up were retrospectively assessed. Univariate and multivariate analysis of pretreatment parameters conducted to assess independent factors impacting on immediate NPV ratio. All adverse effects were recorded.

RESULTS: The immediate NPV ratios in groups A and B were 89.2 ± 6.7% and 42.4 ± 19.0%, respectively. At the six-month follow-up, the adenomyosis volume reduction ratios in groups A and B were 0.27 ± 0.8 and 0.04 ± 0.1, respectively, with corresponding improvements of 0.7 ± 0.18 and 0.26 ± 0.25, respectively, in the mean transformed SSS. Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that only T1 perfusion-based classification as an independent factor associated with the outcome of MR-guided high intensity focused ultrasound treatment. No serious adverse effects were reported.

CONCLUSIONS: Our novel classification method introduced in this study might be clinically beneficial in classifying adenomyosis for predicting the immediate outcome of MR-guided high intensity focused ultrasound treatment.