Shearwave elastographic evaluation of uterine leiomyomas after uterine artery embolization: preliminary results

We aimed to investigate the role of Shearwave Elastography (SWE) in the evaluation of response to uterine artery embolization (UAE) in patients with uterine leiomyomas.

SWE images of the dominant uterin leiomyomas were obtained before and 1.5 months after performing UAE in 33 women suffering from symptoms due to leiomyomas (menometrorrhagia, bulk related symptoms, pelvic pain). Leiomyomas were also evaluated by 2 observers for location and longest diameter in axial plane. Interobserver agreement in the quantitative SWE analysis was calculated using intraclass correlation coefficients.

Thirty-three women (mean age, 39.7 years; range, 31–48 years) were examined with SWE 1.5 months after UAE. After treatment, 3 patients (9.1%) had fever, 1 patient had nausea and 29 patients (87.9%) had no complications. The post UAE stiffness measurements of leiomyomas (mean SWE ± SD = 13.34 ± 3.9kPa) were significantly lower than the pre UAE measurements (mean SWE ± SD = 17.16 ± 4.8kPa) (P < 0.001). There was excellent agreement between the 2 blinded observers in SWE measurements.

SWE values of leiomyomas after UAE significantly decreased. SWE, with its high reproducibility, could become a useful tool in the follow up of uterin leiomyomas after UAE.