Angiographic findings and their significance of uterine myomas

Objective To evaluate the angiographic findings of uterine myomas and their values in the diagnosis and interventional treatment of uterine myomas.Methods Digital subtraction anglography(DSA) of uterine artery was performed in 198 patients with uterine myomas before they underwent transcatheter uterine artery embolization(TUAE).Angiographic findings including distribution of uterine artery,blood supply and DSA feature of uterine myomas were observed and analysed.Results Blood supply of myomas was found to be hypervascular in all 198 patients.According to the distribution of uterine artery flow,3 types of blood supply were identified.In type Ⅰ,blood supply of myomas came from unilateral uterine artery mostly in 59.1%(117/198);in type Ⅱ,blood supply came from bilateral uterine artery symmetrically in 32.8%(65/198);in type Ⅲ, blood supply came from unilateral uterine artery completely in 8.1%(16/198).Ramus ovaricus arterial uterine orland ovarian artery were visualized in 96 patients(48.5%).The characteristic finding included outer vascular net consisted of branches of uterine artery on the surface of myomas in early artery phase and inside vascular net consisted of arterioles from outer vascular net into myomas in later artery phase.Conclusions The outer and insider vascular net of uterine myomas is the most important sign differentiated from adenomyosis.DSA findings of uterine myomas have an important role in interventional treatment of uterine myomas.