Abdominal wall endometriosis treatment by ultrasound-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound ablation: a case report

Abdominal wall endometriosis (AWE) occurs in about 0.1% of people with endometriosis, and is often diagnosed postoperatively. Surgical resection is generally used to treat AWE. We successfully treated AWE with ultrasound-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound therapy (USgHIFU). A 37-year-old Korean female presented with a palpable subcutaneous nodule associated with cyclic pain and swelling during menstruation. She was recommended surgical excision three months ago. She had a history of laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis 4 years ago and was interested in less invasive methods of treatment. The 0.9 cm painful nodule was observed as a low-echoic shadow in transabdominal ultrasonography and as an iso-signal in T1 MRI images. USgHIFU treatment was performed under light sedation and completed when the hyperechoic area covered the entire lesion. HIFU treatment was effective without any postoperative complications such as blisters or skin burns. The lesion showed changes in hyper-intensity signal on T1 MRI images. Physical examination showed absence of pain or tenderness and three months later, the painful nodule shrunk, and the menstrual cyclic pain associated with the nodule disappeared. In conclusion, USgHIFU may represent an effective therapy for AWE.