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Clinical Trial
. 2025 Jun;104(6):1172-1180.
doi: 10.1111/aogs.15086. Epub 2025 Apr 29.

Magnetic resonance guided high intensity focused ultrasound (MR-HIFU) effectively reduces fibroid-related symptoms and improves quality of life-A prospective single-centre 12-month follow-up study

Saara Otonkoski  1   2 , Antti Viitala  2   3 , Gaber Komar  2   3 , Teija Sainio  2   4 , Anna Yanovskiy  2   3 , Roberto Blanco Sequieros  2   3 , Antti Perheentupa  1   2 , Kirsi Joronen  1   2
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Magnetic resonance guided high intensity focused ultrasound (MR-HIFU) effectively reduces fibroid-related symptoms and improves quality of life-A prospective single-centre 12-month follow-up study

Saara Otonkoski et al. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2025 Jun.

Abstract

Introduction: Uterine fibroids are the most common benign tumors among women, and it is estimated that approximately 70% of women have one or multiple fibroids by the age of menopause. About 30% of these women suffer from symptoms related to the fibroids. Magnetic resonance-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (MR-HIFU) is a novel, non-invasive treatment method for symptomatic uterine fibroids.

Material and methods: In this prospective, single-centre follow-up study, 175 women with symptomatic uterine fibroids were treated with MR-HIFU. The effect of MR-HIFU on fibroid symptoms and quality of life was evaluated using a uterine fibroid-specific quality of life questionnaire (UFS-QoL). The main outcome measure was the symptom severity score and quality of life (QoL) before the MR-HIFU and 3 and 12 months after the treatment. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03937401).

Results: The median symptom severity score decreased from 56 (IQR 44-69) at baseline to 28 (IQR 16-44) at 3 months (p < 0.01) and 25 (IQR 16-38) at 12 months (p < 0.01) after treatment. The QoL score increased from a median of 48 (IQR 33-66) at baseline to 73 (IQR 59-93) at 3 months (p < 0.01) and 78 (IQR 66-90) at 12 months after treatment (p < 0.01). The reintervention rate during the 12-month follow-up was 2%.

Conclusions: MR-HIFU significantly reduces the severity of fibroid-related symptoms in selected patients as early as 3 months after MR-HIFU. The effect persists at 12 months. There is also a significant improvement in the quality of life 3 months after treatment, which further increases at 12 months.

Keywords: MR‐HIFU; fibroid; quality of life; uterine fibroid.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors report that there are no competing interests to declare.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Symptom Severity Score (SSS) at baseline, 3 months, and 12 months based on the patient series with responses to all of the timepoints. *** P < 0.001.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Total quality of life score (HRQoL) at baseline, 3 months, and 12 months based on the patient series with responses to all of the timepoints. *** P < 0.001.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Symptom Severity Score (SSS) at baseline, 3 months, and 12 months. *** P < 0.001.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Total quality of life score (HRQoL) at baseline, 3 months, and 12 months. * P < 0.05, *** P < 0.001.
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
Quality of Life according to the subgroups. * P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01, *** P < 0.001.
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