Uterine fibroids, also called fibroids or leiomyomas, are benign tumors made up of muscle cells, which can affect a woman’s life because they can cause abnormal uterine bleeding, pelvic pain, pregnancy complications and other symptoms, although they can be asymptomatic in half of the cases. .
Fibroids can be categorized according to their position in the uterine wall, and subserosos are tumors that develop on the outer surface of the uterus, called serous; this type of fibroid usually has no symptoms, except when it reaches large volumes, which can cause compression of adjacent organs.
- Treatment is only done if symptoms develop or fibroids cause other complications and involve medications or surgery to remove the fibroid or even the uterus.
Subsose fibroids usually show no symptoms, except when they reach large volumes, which can cause compression of adjacent organs and cause more serious problems; symptoms can be gynecological, such as abnormal uterine bleeding, pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea or infertility, and, after bleeding, iron deficiency anemia can occur.
In addition, there may also be urinary retention, desire to urinate frequently, swelling of the kidneys, intestinal dysfunction, venous stoesis, hemorrhoids and, although this is rare, fever associated with fibroid necrosis can also occur.
Although rare, the presence of uterine fibroids can affect fertility as they can cause:
If symptoms do not appear, fibroid removal is not indicated, as the surgical procedure may contribute to the development of other infertility factors.
Although there is a possibility of causing infertility, even in the presence of uterine fibroids, it is possible to become pregnant, but the presence of fibroids can damage pregnancy Some uterine fibroids can increase the risk of miscarriage, preterm birth, low birth weight, fetal abnormalities or even having to undergo a C-section.
The onset of fibroids may be related to genetic and hormonal factors, as estrogen and progesterone promote their development and growth factors, produced by smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts.
In addition, several risk factors can contribute to the development of uterine fibroids, such as age, early onset of early periods, family history, being black, obesity, high blood pressure, consumption of red meats, alcohol or caffeine, and never having children.
Asymptomatic fibroids have no therapeutic indication, however, in these cases an ultrasound should be performed frequently, if symptoms are justified or justified, treatment may be necessary:
This treatment aims to reduce or eliminate symptoms by reducing the size of the fibroids or bleeding, as well as being helpful before performing the surgery, as it allows a reduction in size that makes the surgery less invasive..Learn more about treatment.
Surgical treatment should be individualized, adapted to each case.A hysterectomy, consisting of removal of the uterus, or myomectomy, may be performed in which only the fibroid is removed.Learn more about how surgery is performed.