This Article  • Full text  • PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citing articles on Web of Science (2)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in JAMA  Topic Collections  • Radiologic Imaging  • Women's Health  • Women's Health, Other  • Ultrasonography  • Alert me on articles by topic  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Sarah Ringold, MD

JAMA. 2004;292:2826.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

The US Food and Drug Adminstration has approved the first noninvasive, potentially ablative therapy for uterine fibroids. While hysterectomy remains the only definitive therapy for these benign tumors, the combination magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound technology, called the ExAblate 2000 System, could offer selected patients a less invasive alternative to surgery.

Uterine fibroids are found in approximately 20% to 40% of women over the age of 35 years, with an estimated incidence as high as 75% in certain high-risk populations. While many such tumors are asymptomatic, some are associated with significant and disabling symptoms, ranging from prolonged menstrual periods to urinary frequency and lower back and pelvic pain.

Technology combining magnetic resonance imaging with high-intensity focused ultrasound was recently approved by the FDA for use in treating uterine fibroids. (Photo credit: InSightec, Israel)

Hysterectomy may require a hospital stay as long as 4 days plus a . . . [Full Text of this Article]

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?