Background and purpose The aim of this study was to define the prevalence and characteristics of peri‐electrode edema in a prospective cohort of patients undergoing deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery and to correlate it with clinical findings. Methods We performed brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) between 7 and 20 days after surgery in 19 consecutive patients undergoing DBS surgery for Parkinson's disease. The T2‐weighted hyperintensity surrounding DBS leads was characterized and quantified. Any evidence of bleeding around the leads was also evaluated. Clinical and follow‐up data were recorded. In a subgroup of patients, a follow‐up MRI was performed 3–6 weeks after surgery. We also retrospectively reviewed the post‐operative computed tomography scans of patients who underwent DBS at our center since 2013. Results Magnetic resonance imaging showed a peri‐lead edematous reaction in all (100%) patients, which was unilateral in three patients (15.8%). In six patients (31.6%), we detected minor peri‐lead hemorrhage. Edema completely resolved in eight out of 11 patients with a follow‐up MRI and was markedly reduced in the others. Most patients were asymptomatic but six (31.6%) manifested various degrees of confusional state without motor symptoms. We found no significant correlation between edema volume, distribution and any clinical feature, including new post‐operative neurological symptoms. The retrospective computed tomography analysis showed that peri‐electrode hypodensity consistent with edema is absent at early post‐operative imaging but is common at scans performed >3 days after surgery. Conclusions Peri‐electrode edema is a common, transient reaction to DBS lead placement and a convincing relation between edema and post‐operative clinical status is lacking.

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Uterine fibroids are the most common benign pelvic tumor of the female genital tract and tend to increase with age; they cause menorrhagia, dysmenorrhea, pelvic pressure symptoms, back pain, and subfertility. Currently, the management is based mainly on medical or surgical approaches. The nonsurgical and minimally invasive therapies are emerging approaches that to the state of the art include uterine artery embolization (UAE), image-guided thermal ablation techniques like magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound surgery (MRgFUS) or radiofrequency ablation (RF), and percutaneous microwave ablation (PMWA). The purpose of the present review is to describe feasibility results and safety of PMWA according to largest studies available in current literature. Moreover technical aspects of the procedure were analyzed providing important data on large scale about potential efficacy of PMWA in clinical setting. However larger studies with international registries and randomized, prospective trials are still needed to better demonstrate the expanding benefits of PMWA in the management of uterine fibroids.

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