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Attenuation coefficient and sound speed in human myometrium and uterine fibroid tumors.
Author(s) -
Keshavarzi A,
Vaezy S,
Kaczkowski P J,
Keilman G,
Martin R,
Chi E Y,
Garcia R,
Fujimoto V Y
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of ultrasound in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.574
H-Index - 91
eISSN - 1550-9613
pISSN - 0278-4297
DOI - 10.7863/jum.2001.20.5.473
Subject(s) - medicine , myometrium , uterine fibroids , sound (geography) , attenuation , leiomyoma , gynecology , uterus , radiology , acoustics , optics , physics
To develop a noninvasive method for treatment of uterine fibroid tumors using high‐intensity focused ultrasound. Optimal high‐intensity focused ultrasound treatment would be dependent on quantitative information about ultrasonic tissue characteristics. Ultrasonic attenuation and the sound speed of fresh human fibroid tumors and myometrium were measured as a function of frequency (1‐3 MHz) by using a pulse transmission technique before and after in vitro high‐intensity focused ultrasound treatment (3.5 MHz at an intensity of 2,000 W/cm2). The ranges of the attenuation coefficients, before and after high‐intensity focused ultrasound treatment, were 0.9 to 2.2 and 1.8 to 3.9 dB/cm2, respectively, for fibroid tumors and 0.5 to 1.6 and 1.7 to 3.3 dB/cm2, respectively, for myometrium. Although the sound speed appeared to be independent of frequency (1,611 to 1,616 m/s at 1 to 3 MHz) in both types of tissues, a slight increase of approximately 4 to 14 m/s was observed after high‐intensity focused ultrasound treatment. The results of this study represent our first reported values of the attenuation coefficient and sound speed in fibroid tumors and myometrium before and after high‐intensity focused ultrasound treatment.