Ovarian Endometrioma Protects Pregnancy Without Recurrence with Catheter-Induced Sclerosis
Mar 12, 2025
Studies have shown the long-term effectiveness and safety of catheter-directed sclerotherapy (CDS), which can treat endometrioma in ovaries without surgery.
This is the research result of Professor Kim Seul-ki of obstetrics and gynecology at Bundang Seoul National University Hospital and Professor Lee Jae-hwan of the Department of Radiology.
Endometrioma, which occurs in about 10% of women of childbearing age, is a disease that proliferates in the ovaries, peritoneum, fallopian tubes, etc., rather than inside the uterus where endometrial tissue is supposed to be. It is known as one of the major causes of infertility and chronic pelvic pain.
The standard treatment for these ovarian endometriomas is surgery to remove lesions through laparoscopy, which is a significant burden on women of childbearing age as ovarian tissue is damaged during surgery and has the potential to cause ovarian function decline. Accordingly, catheter-guided sclerosis has recently emerged as a non-surgical treatment that can preserve ovarian function.
Sclerosis is a method of curing and chemical destruction by injecting 99% concentration of ethanol after removing the liquid inside the lesion. Previously, Needle-Directed Sclerotherapy (NDS) using needles was used, but there was a problem of poor stability. The needle must be inserted accurately in a straight line when approaching the lesion area, and it is difficult to fix, so it can move finely during the procedure. Therefore, there was a risk of ethanol leaking into the abdominal cavity, and the deviation of the treatment effect was large, and the recurrence rate was high enough to reach up to 90%.
As an alternative to this, catheter-guided sclerosis is developed, and the catheter can be flexibly operated in the desired direction even in the body, and can maintain a stable position after reaching the target position, enabling accurate and efficient procedures.
The research team conducted a study on ovarian endometrioma patients who underwent catheter-guided sclerosis at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital from 2020 to 2022. As a result, the mean size of endometrioma after the procedure decreased by 98.9%, and recurrence did not occur during the follow-up period of 1 year. In addition, as a result of analyzing changes in anti-Müller tube hormone (AMH) levels that evaluate ovarian function, it was also confirmed that there was no significant decrease compared to before the procedure, so ovarian function was well maintained.
Professor Kim Seul-ki of Obstetrics and Gynecology said, `The study has shown that catheter-induced sclerosis is a way to achieve the same therapeutic effect as conventional surgical treatment while preserving ovarian function as much as possible.' `It can be an important treatment alternative, especially for women of childbearing age who are planning to become pregnant.'", he explained.
Professor Lee Jae-hwan of the Department of Radiology said "Cater-induced sclerosis complements the instability of conventional needle-based sclerosis and is effective in treating it."As this study has proven its effectiveness, we plan to continue expanding the scope of treatment."
Meanwhile, the findings were published in the international SCIE journal 『Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology』.
This is the research result of Professor Kim Seul-ki of obstetrics and gynecology at Bundang Seoul National University Hospital and Professor Lee Jae-hwan of the Department of Radiology.
Endometrioma, which occurs in about 10% of women of childbearing age, is a disease that proliferates in the ovaries, peritoneum, fallopian tubes, etc., rather than inside the uterus where endometrial tissue is supposed to be. It is known as one of the major causes of infertility and chronic pelvic pain.
The standard treatment for these ovarian endometriomas is surgery to remove lesions through laparoscopy, which is a significant burden on women of childbearing age as ovarian tissue is damaged during surgery and has the potential to cause ovarian function decline. Accordingly, catheter-guided sclerosis has recently emerged as a non-surgical treatment that can preserve ovarian function.
Sclerosis is a method of curing and chemical destruction by injecting 99% concentration of ethanol after removing the liquid inside the lesion. Previously, Needle-Directed Sclerotherapy (NDS) using needles was used, but there was a problem of poor stability. The needle must be inserted accurately in a straight line when approaching the lesion area, and it is difficult to fix, so it can move finely during the procedure. Therefore, there was a risk of ethanol leaking into the abdominal cavity, and the deviation of the treatment effect was large, and the recurrence rate was high enough to reach up to 90%.
As an alternative to this, catheter-guided sclerosis is developed, and the catheter can be flexibly operated in the desired direction even in the body, and can maintain a stable position after reaching the target position, enabling accurate and efficient procedures.
The research team conducted a study on ovarian endometrioma patients who underwent catheter-guided sclerosis at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital from 2020 to 2022. As a result, the mean size of endometrioma after the procedure decreased by 98.9%, and recurrence did not occur during the follow-up period of 1 year. In addition, as a result of analyzing changes in anti-Müller tube hormone (AMH) levels that evaluate ovarian function, it was also confirmed that there was no significant decrease compared to before the procedure, so ovarian function was well maintained.
Professor Kim Seul-ki of Obstetrics and Gynecology said, `The study has shown that catheter-induced sclerosis is a way to achieve the same therapeutic effect as conventional surgical treatment while preserving ovarian function as much as possible.' `It can be an important treatment alternative, especially for women of childbearing age who are planning to become pregnant.'", he explained.
Professor Lee Jae-hwan of the Department of Radiology said "Cater-induced sclerosis complements the instability of conventional needle-based sclerosis and is effective in treating it."As this study has proven its effectiveness, we plan to continue expanding the scope of treatment."
Meanwhile, the findings were published in the international SCIE journal 『Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology』.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
