PMC

The graph (median and standard error) demonstrates the A total lesion volume (TLV) and the B enhancing lesion volume (ELV) assessed by 3D-RESQU on contrast-enhanced MRI (ceMRI) scans at baseline as well as 24 hrs, 6 months, 12 months and 24 months after MR-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (MRgHIFU). A TLV decrease of statistical significance compared to baseline was observed after 6, 12 and 24 months. A significant decrease of ELV is apparent after 12 months.* p<.05, ** p<.01, *** p<.001

The graph illustrates representative changes in the total lesion volume (TLV) and the enhancing lesion volume (ELV) of a uterine fibroid after MR-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (MRgHIFU) in a 44-year old patient. In the vertical, the contrast-enhanced MRI (ceMRI) scans are arranged according to the time of acquisition. In the horizontal, A and B demonstrate the ceMRI scans at 0 and 20 sec, respectively. C represents the volume rendering for the segmented lesion on a ceMRI scan. D demonstrates the color map of the lesion using 3-dimensional response quantification in uterine fibroids (3D-RESQU); the color coding varies from red representing maximum enhancement to blue representing no enhancement.

The graph illustrates the interreader agreement for manual volume measurements A, B as well as the inter-method correlation between manual and 3D-RESQU evaluation of the total lesion volume (TLV) on contrast-enhanced MRI scans C, D at baseline and 6 months after MR-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (MRgHIFU). According to the linear regression model and the calculation of the Pearson correlation coefficient (R²), volumes assessed manually by both readers demonstrate good agreement and the strong correlation of both attempts validates volumetric calculations by the semi-automatic 3D-RESQU technique in this setting.

The graph illustrates the inter-reader agreement for visual enhancement assessment A, B as well as the inter-method correlation between visual and 3D-RESQU evaluation of the enhancing lesion volume (ELV) on contrast-enhanced MRI scans C, D at baseline and 6 months after MR-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (MRgHIFU). According to the linear regression model and the calculation of the Pearson correlation coefficient (R²), visually estimated enhancements only show slight agreement and thereby demonstrate limited reproducibility. The correlation analysis of both attempts reveals strong discrepancy, particularly at the 6-month follow-up, suggesting a benefit of the semi-automatic 3D-RESQU technique over a planar visual approach.