Image-guided cryoablation for uterine diseases: a systematic review

Area of Science:

• Gynecologic Oncology
• Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Interventional Radiology

Background:

• Cryoablation is an emerging minimally invasive treatment for uterine diseases, yet research remains limited.
• This review focuses on image-guided cryoablation for gynecologic conditions, including uterine myoma, abdominal wall endometriosis (AWE), and adenomyoma.
• The safety and efficacy of this approach are evaluated based on current literature.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the existing literature on image-guided cryoablation for gynecologic diseases.
• To assess the safety and efficacy of cryoablation in treating uterine myoma, AWE, and adenomyoma.
• To provide an overview of clinical outcomes and complication rates.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was performed across Medline, EMBASE, and Web of Science.
• Eighteen studies reporting outcomes of image-guided cryoablation for gynecologic conditions were included.
• Data on patient characteristics, clinical outcomes, and complications were assessed and analyzed separately for different pathologies.

Main Results:

• Cryoablation achieved a mean uterine myoma volume reduction of 69.8% at 24 months.
• Initial ablation efficiency for AWE was 82% per patient and 93.6% per lesion.
• Mean adenomyoma volume reduction was 65.8% at 12 months, with significant pain reduction (VAS) reported across all conditions. Major complications occurred in 3.82% of patients.

Conclusions:

• Image-guided cryoablation is a safe and effective minimally invasive therapy for uterine diseases.
• The procedure demonstrates statistically and clinically significant effectiveness.
• Low incidence of major complications supports its use in gynecologic conditions.