Fibroids
What are fibroids?
Fibroids (also known as leiomyomas or myomas) are benign growths in the muscle of the uterus. They occur most commonly in women of child-bearing age.
As fibroids don’t always cause symptoms it is not clear how common they are, but studies suggest that at least 25 per cent of women will have them. They are found more frequently in women who have a family history of fibroids, are obese, have never been pregnant or have had few pregnancies.
Fibroids can be categorised into 3 groups, depending on where they grow.
- Submucosal — just underneath the lining of the uterus.
- Intramural — in the wall of the uterus.
- Subserosal — on the outside of the uterus.
They can vary widely in size, from 1 mm to more than 20 cm in width.
What are the symptoms?
While many women will not have any symptoms, fibroids can cause heavy periods, prolonged periods or bleeding between the periods, and pain or a feeling of pressure in the pelvic area. If the periods are heavy or prolonged this sometimes leads to anaemia.
How are they diagnosed?
As they don’t always cause symptoms, fibroids are sometimes only picked up on a routine gynaecological examination.
If you have symptoms suggestive of fibroids, your doctor will perform a pelvic examination to see if the uterus feels enlarged or irregular.
An ultrasound scan can then be used to confirm the diagnosis. Sometimes other investigations are also used, such as hysteroscopy, where a small telescope is passed through the cervix enabling the doctor to see inside the uterus.
What treatments are available?
There are a number of different options for the treatment of fibroids, including both medical and surgical treatments. Some of these include:
- Watchful waiting — if the fibroids are not causing any problems, a wait-and-see approach may be adopted, where your doctor will monitor the fibroids over time.
- Hormonal medications — these may be used to shrink down the fibroids or reduce the amount of bleeding.
- Surgery — there are several different types of surgical treatment, including myomectomy (where only the fibroids are removed, leaving the uterus in place) and hysterectomy (where the uterus itself is removed).
- Uterine artery embolisation — this involves the injection of small particles into the artery to the uterus to block off the blood supply to the fibroids, causing them to shrink.
Your doctor can advise you as to which options are available for treatment in your particular case.
Last Reviewed: 14 July 2006
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