Endovascular treatment of uterine myomatosis: a systematic review

Uterine Artery Embolization (UAE) is a noninvasive alternative to open surgery for treatment of uterine myomatosis. This study aims to analyze the efficacy and safety of UAE in these cases. A systematic review was carried out of studies available on the Medline (via PubMed) and the LILACS and PEDro (via the Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde) databases. The searches found 817 studies, 7 of which were selected according to the eligibility criteria (analytical, longitudinal, retrospective, or prospective studies), with a total of 367 patients studied. The variables analyzed and the characteristics of the studies included were collated and input to a database. Rates of volume reduction of the uterus and the dominant myoma were 44.1% and 56.3%, respectively. Mean rate of complete infarction of the dominant myoma was 88.6% (82-100%). The mean number of complications observed was 15±8.6 cases, most of which were classified as minor, and no deaths were recorded. The mean number of re-interventions in absolute values was 12.2±15.5 cases. Therefore, in the literature analyzed, uterine artery embolization is an effective procedure with a low rate of complications for treatment of uterine leiomyomatosis.