Fibroids of the uterus (leiomyoma): Fibroids are the commonest tumors of the uterus and have a reported incidence of at least 25 to 30 % in the female population. Uterine fibroids are benign tumors (lumps) of the uterine musculature (called smooth muscles) and have varying prognosis from slowly growing tumors to those that may actually regress (become smaller). A small percentage of fibroids of the uterus may actually undergo malignant transformation (become cancerous); these cancerous tumors are called leiomyosarcoma. Another aspect about a fibroid is that this uterine tumor may be single or it may be multiple. What are the symptoms of a uterine fibroid? The earliest symptoms of a fibroid can be pain the lower abdomen (the pelvis) of the woman (usually after the age of 30). The other symptoms of uterine fibroids include dysmenorrhea (pain during menses), increased frequency or amount of bleeding during menses (polymenorrhea or menorrhagia) and other menstrual abnormalities. Other symptoms include those produced by pressure of the fibroids of the uterus on the adjacent organs in the female pelvis including the urinary bladder (increased frequency of urination and obstructed urination). Pressure on the rectum may cause constipation in women where the uterine mass (tumor/ fibroid) arises from the posterior (back) of the uterus. Fibroids are also a common cause of infertility in women. So how does one diagnose fibroid of the uterus? If a woman has one or more of the symptoms mentioned above, she should consult the doctor/ gynecologist immediately. Per abdominal examination (palpation) of the pelvis can sometimes help detect a relatively larger fibroid. In addition, a per vaginal examination may also help to detect a lump of the uterus. In any case, the safest and best method to diagnose a fibroid of the uterus is ultrasound examination. The sonologist or radiologist conducts a transabdominal examination of the pelvis (on a full bladder) to visualize the uterine mass. The uterine tumor is seen from various angles to determine its size, number, location and pressure effects on the adjacent bladder or rectum. Here is some examples of what a uterine fibroid looks like on ultrasound imaging: There are commonly three types of fibroid based on ultrasound imaging: a) Intramural- the fibroid is within the wall of the uterus. b) Subserosal- the fibroid is just below the outer covering serosa of the uterus. c) Sub mucous- the fibroid is just below the inner lining of the uterus (the endometrium). This ultrasound image shows a fibroid extending from the subserous to the intramural location of the uterus-
Posted on: Sat, 07 Sep 2013 11:45:49 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015