Desmoid tumors are benign but locally aggressive
soft tissue tumors that arise from fibroblast cells. Focused ultrasound has
shown promising results in reduction of tumor volume without significant side
effects. Post-treatment contrast enhanced MR imaging allows assessment of the
non-perfused volume (NPV), the gold standard assessment of the quantity of
tumor ablation. However, safety concerns regarding heating of tissue after
gadolinium injection prevent further treatment following the NPV assessment. We
have shown that T2 mapping can be used to visualize the extent of ablation with
focused ultrasound and be used as a predictor of NPV without the need for
contrast injections.
