Uterine Artery Embolization of Fibroids - a brief course in understanding MRIs

  an MRI
     of PRE and POST FIBROID Embolization
                (a brief course in understanding MRIs)

"Magnetic Resonance Imaging" - better known as MRI - is the best way to see the changes in fibroids after embolization. Using MRI, a radiologist creates a "slice" of a woman's pelvis (without X-Rays) which gives the most accurate picture of what is happening inside. Though reading these films is quite technical, yet with some help a layperson can still understand it well enough to get useful information. What follows is a brief demonstration of "reading an MRI". Its purpose is to help the layperson to make sense of the unique animated GIF image we have developed.

Here is an actual MRI of a uterus markedly enlarged by multiple fibroids.

This MRI slices through the body lengthwise. For orientation, the front of the abdomen is to the left, and the spine (which appears as a pile of blocks (A)) is to the right.
We outlined the uterus and its fibroids with a black line for better definition. (B)
Notice that within the uterus, there are a number of grey circles. (C) These are the fibroids. They develop as small spheres which - by pressing against each other - stretch and elongate the uterus making it larger, and its outer surface irregular.
At the left of the picture is a thick black line - the muscle of the abdominal wall.(D) The hockey-stick curve at the top, is the navel (or umbilicus). Notice how the large fibroid uterus (equivalent to the size of a 17-18 week pregnancy) curves these muscles outward.

At 14 weeks after embolization, the fibroids (B) can still be seen, but they are no longer grey. Instead they are black. The MRI principle demonstrated is that when a tissue loses moisture (such as its blood supply after embolization), it appears black on the film. Notice how the line of abdominal wall muscles straightened. (D) Because of the dramatic decrease in uterine size, it no longer distorts the outer surface of the abdomen.

At 27 weeks after embolization, the uterine size has decreased still further. For comparison we have drawn a line where the top of the uterus was before the procedure. The dramatic change is quite obvious.

To view the entire sequence of changes in an unusual animated GIF, please click HERE. (On this page there is a link to yet another UAE case which had dramatic changes.)