Desmoid tumors are a rare form of cancer, which show locally aggressive invasion of surrounding tissues and may occur anywhere in the body. Treatment options comprise conservative watch and wait strategies as tumors may show spontaneous regression as well as surgical resection, radiation therapy, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), chemotherapy, or local thermoablative approaches for progressive disease. The latter comprises cryotherapy, radiofrequency, microwave ablation, or thermal ablation with high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) as the only entirely non-invasive option. This report presents a case where a desmoid tumor at the left dorsal humerus was 2 times surgically resected and, after recurrence, thermally ablated with HIFU under magnetic resonance image-guidance (MR-HIFU). In our report, we analyze tumor volume and/or pain score during standard of care (2 years) and after HIFU treatment over a 4-year follow-up period. Results showed MR-HIFU treatment led to complete tumor remission and pain response.

OBJECTIVE: To use magnetic resonance-guided high intensity focused ultrasound (MRg-HIFU), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histopathology for noninvasively ablating, quantifying and characterizing ablated renal tissue.
METHODS: Six anesthetized/mechanically-ventilated pigs underwent single/double renal sonication (n = 24) using a 3T-MRg-HIFU (1.1 MHz frequency and 3000J-4400J energies). T2-weighted fast spin echo (T2-W), perfusion saturation recovery gradient echo and contrast enhanced (CE) T1-weighted (T1-W) sequences were used for treatment planning, temperature monitoring, lesion visualization, characterization and quantification, respectively. Histopathology was conducted in excised kidneys to quantify and characterize cellular and vascular changes. Paired Student\'s t-test was used and a P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
RESULTS: Ablated renal parenchyma could not be differentiated from normal parenchyma on T2-W or non-CE T1-W sequences. Ablated renal lesions were visible as hypoenhanced regions on perfusion and CE T1-W MRI sequences, suggesting perfusion deficits and necrosis. Volumes of ablated parenchyma on CE T1-W images in vivo (0.12-0.36 cm(3) for single sonication 3000J, 0.50-0.84 cm(3), for double 3000J, 0.75-0.78 cm(3) for single 4400J and 0.12-2.65 cm(3) for double 4400J) and at postmortem (0.23-0.52 cm(3), 0.25-0.82 cm(3), 0.45-0.68 cm(3) and 0.29-1.80 cm(3), respectively) were comparable. The ablated volumes on 3000J and 4400J double sonication were significantly larger than single (P < 0.01), thus, the volume and depth of ablated tissue depends on the applied energy and number of sonication. Macroscopic and microscopic examinations confirmed the locations and presence of coagulation necrosis, vascular damage and interstitial hemorrhage, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: Contrast enhanced MRI provides assessment of MRg-HIFU renal ablation. Histopathology demonstrated coagulation necrosis, vascular damage and confirmed the volume of damage seen on MRI.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the local thermal conductivity of uterine fibroid in vivo at a high temperature range (60-80°C) typically encountered in magnetic resonance imaging-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (MRgHIFU) surgery. The thermal conductivity of uterine fibroids in vivo is unknown and knowledge about tissue thermal conductivity may aid in effective delivery of thermal energy for ablation.
METHODS: All subjects (nine women) provided written informed consent to participate in this Institutional Review Board-approved study. A total of 10 fibroids were treated using MRgHIFU surgery with real-time temperature monitoring during both heating and cooling periods. The local thermal conductivity was determined by analyzing the spatiotemporal spread of temperature during the cooling period.
RESULTS: The thermal conductivity of MRgHIFU-treated uterine fibroids was 0.47 ± 0.07 W·m(-1) ·K(-1) (range: 0.25∼0.67 W·m(-1) ·K(-1) ) which is slightly lower than the reported value for skeletal muscle at temperatures of <40°C (0.52 to 0.62 W·m(-1) ·K(-1) ).
CONCLUSIONS: It is possible to estimate the thermal conductivity of uterine fibroids in vivo from the spatiotemporal spread of temperature around the HIFU focus during the cooling period.