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Updated: Jun 25, 2025
Thermal Ablation for the Treatment of Abdominal Tumors
Published on: March 7, 2011
Radiofrequency Ablation: A Promising Treatment Method for Abdominal Wall Endometriosis
Ali Mahdavi1, Seyed Ali Forouzannia2, Ehsan Goudarzi3
1Department of Radiology, Imam Hossein Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Purpose:
To evaluate the application of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) as a treatment method for abdominal wall endometriosis (AWE).
Materials And Methods:
The characteristics of the AWE lesions in the patients were obtained using ultrasound (US). The patients received general and local anesthesia, and then, AWE lesions were divided into 1 cm3 sections visually, and each of these sections underwent US-guided RFA using the moving shot technique. Follow-up included outpatient appointments, including a US examination 1, 3, and 6 months after the treatment to assess the volume of the lesions. In addition, the level of pain experienced by the patients was measured using a visual analogue scale (VAS) before and the day after the procedure, as well as at each follow-up appointment.
Results:
Ten patients were treated with RFA. The procedural success was achieved in all of the patients. The median volume of the lesions decreased from 7.3 cm3 (IQR = 4.39,23.75) to 2.95 cm3 (IQR = 1.65,9.09) (P = 0.005). All patients reported reduced pain levels, and the median of their VAS score decreased from 9 (IQR = 8,9) to 0 (IQR = 0,1.25) (P = 0.004) at the end of the follow-up period. None of the patients experienced complications related to RFA treatment.
Conclusion:
Based on the study's findings, RFA appears to be a promising minimally invasive treatment for AWE. However, larger studies with longer follow-up periods are required for a more comprehensive understanding of its efficacy and safety.
Level Of Evidence:
Level 4, Case Series.
