Noninvasive lipoma size reduction using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Avner Shemer1, Solli Brawer, Boaz Amichi
1Laniado Medical Center, Netanya, Israel.
Background:
Lipomas are common benign mesenchymal tumors commonly removed using excision, but in certain cases, surgery is undesirable or ineffective. High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) offers a noninvasive tumor ablation tool increasingly used in the clinic.
Objective:
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a noninvasive lipoma size reduction technology using HIFU.
Materials & Methods:
Twelve lipomas in nine patients were treated. Patients underwent four treatment sessions with a 3-week interval between treatments. Blood and urine tests and tolerability based on a standard visual analogue scale (VAS) were used to monitor patients for adverse effects. Lipoma volume was determined by measuring width and length (manually) and depth (ultrasonically).
Results:
The range of lipoma size was 2.7-169.4 cm3 before treatment and 0.2-119.8 cm3 after treatment. Mean volume reduction was 58.1 ± 22.8%. When palpated, the lipomas felt much softer than before treatment. The average VAS score was 4.1 ± 2.4. No significant adverse effects were noted.
Conclusion:
The treatment was shown to be effective in noninvasively reducing lipoma size. The average volume reduction was substantial and statistically significant. The treatment was safe and well-tolerated. HIFU may be an alternative treatment modality in cases of lipoma.
More Related Videos
08:39Multiplexing Focused Ultrasound Stimulation with Fluorescence Microscopy
Published on: January 7, 2019
07:38Real-time Monitoring of High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) Ablation of In Vitro Canine Livers Using Harmonic Motion Imaging for Focused Ultrasound (HMIFU)
Published on: November 3, 2015