Comparison efficacy of ultrasound-guided HIFU for adenomyosis-associated dysmenorrhea with different signal intensity on T2-weighted MR imaging

AIM: To compare the therapeutic efficacy of ultrasound-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (USgHIFU) in the treatment of adenomyosis with different signal intensity (SI) on T2-weighted images (T2WI). METHODS: A total of 299 adenomyosis patients who underwent HIFU and completed a one-year follow-up were retrospectively reviewed. Based on the SI values of adenomyosis relative to myometrium and endometrium on T2WI MRI, the patients were classified into three groups: the hypointense adenomyosis (Hypo-AM) group, the isointense adenomyosis (Iso-AM) group, and the hyperintense adenomyosis (Hyper-AM) group. The non-perfused volume ratio (NPVr) and relief of dysmenorrhea were used to assess the therapeutic efficacy. Optimal cutpoints (CPs) of NPVr were determined using the postoperative dysmenorrhea score as an anchor. Logistic regression analysis was used to test the relationship between the NPVr and SI. RESULTS: The clinical effectiveness rate was significantly lower in the Hyper-AM group than in the Hypo-AM and Iso-AM groups (P < 0.05 for both). The NPVr in the Hypo-AM and Iso-AM groups were significantly higher than that in the Hyper-AM group (P < 0.05 for both). The optimal CP was 54.0% for NPVr. Logistic regression analysis showed that the SI on T2WI was an effect factor for NPVr (P < 0.05), and the probability of NPVr ≥54.0% decreased continuously as the SI of adenomyosis increased. CONCLUSIONS: The NPVr of 54.0% has a clinically significant impact on dysmenorrhea scores in patients. The efficiency of the Hypo-AM and Iso-AM was better than that of the Hyper-AM.