Combination of HIFU with sulfur hexafluoride microbubbles in the treatment of solitary uterine fibroids: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the efficacy and safety of sulfur hexafluoride microbubbles on ultrasound-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation of uterine fibroids.

METHODS

Studies that compared HIFU-microbubble combination with HIFU-only in patients with uterine fibroids were searched from inception to April 2022. The standardized mean difference (SMD) or relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for different outcome parameters was calculated.

RESULTS

Seven studies were included, with a total of 901 patients (519 in the combination group and 382 in the HIFU-only group). The energy consumption for treating 1 cm3 of the lesion in the combination group was less than that in the HIFU-only group [SMD =  - 2.19, 95%CI (- 3.81, - 0.57), p = 0.008]. The use of microbubbles was associated with shortening the duration of the treatment and sonication [SMD =  - 2.60, 95%CI (- 4.09, - 1.10), p = 0.0007; SMD =  - 2.11, 95%CI (- 3.30, - 0.92), p = 0.0005]. The rates of significant greyscale changes during HIFU were greater in the combination group, as well as the increase of non-perfused volume ratio [RR = 1.26, 95%CI (1.04, 1.54), p = 0.02; SMD = 0.32, 95%CI (0.03, 0.61), p = 0.03]. The average sonication durations to reach significant greyscale changes and for ablating 1 cm3 of the fibroid lesion were shorter in the combination group [SMD =  - 1.24, 95%CI (- 2.02, - 0.45), p = 0.002; SMD =  - 0.22, 95%CI (- 0.42, - 0.02), p = 0.03]. The two groups had similar post-HIFU adverse effects, while the combination group had fewer intraprocedural adverse events like abdominal pain, sacrum pain, and leg pain.

CONCLUSIONS

Sulfur hexafluoride microbubbles can be safely used to enhance and accelerate the ablation effects of HIFU in the treatment of uterine fibroids.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: The combination of HIFU with sulfur hexafluoride microbubbles offers a promising non-invasive treatment option for patients with uterine fibroids.

KEY POINTS: • Sulfur hexafluoride microbubbles combined with ultrasound-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (USgHIFU) has potential advantages in the treatment of uterine fibroids. • Sulfur hexafluoride microbubbles not only enhance the effects of USgHIFU treatment for uterine fibroids but also shorten its duration. • Sulfur hexafluoride microbubbles do not increase the incidence of USgHIFU-related adverse events in the treatment of uterine fibroids.