Fibroids

Fibroids

Fibroids are masses of muscular tissue that can develop within the wall of the uterus. They are the most common noncancerous tumor in premenopausal women. You may hear your health care professional call fibroids by other terms, including uterine leiomyomas, fibromyomas, fibromas, myofibromas and myomas. They can be small or quite large.

While fibroids can cause a variety of symptoms, they may not cause any symptoms at all—so you may not even know you have one. Heavy bleeding is the most common symptom associated with fibroids and the one that usually prompts a woman to make an appointment with her health care professional. You may learn you have one or more fibroids after having a pelvic exam.

Fibroids may cause a range of other symptoms, too, including pain, pressure in the pelvic region, abnormal bleeding, painful intercourse, frequent urination or infertility.

What actually causes fibroids to form isn't clear, but genetics and hormones are thought to play a big role. Your body may be predisposed to developing fibroids. They seem to grow or shrink depending on estrogen levels in your body, but researchers don't know why some women develop them while others don't.

Fibroids usually grow slowly during your reproductive years, but may increase in size with pregnancy. At menopause fibroids shrink because estrogen levels decline. Using menopausal hormone therapy containing estrogen after menopause may cause fibroids to continue to grow and cause symptoms.

Progesterone, growth hormone and prolactin are other hormones that may stimulate a fibroid's growth once it has already formed.

A variety of treatments exist to remove fibroids and relieve symptoms. If you learn you have fibroids, but you aren't experiencing symptoms, you usually won't need treatment.

Who is at risk for fibroids?

Your risk for developing fibroids increases with age. African-American women are at least twice as likely as Caucasian women to have them. If women in your family have already been diagnosed with fibroids, you have an increased risk of developing them. Obesity and high blood pressure also contribute to your risk of developing fibroids, but if you take oral contraceptives or have given birth your risk decreases.

Types of Fibroids

Fibroids form in different parts of the uter:

• Submucosal fibroids grow from the uterine wall into the uterine cavity. They can cause pain, abnormal bleeding and infertility.
• Subserosal fibroids grow from the uterine wall to the outside of the uterus. They can push on the bladder, bowel or intestine causing bloating, abdominal pressure, cramping and pain.
• Intramural fibroids are confined within the muscle wall of the uterus, and are the most common fibroid type. They can cause symptoms similar to those caused by fibroids in other parts of the uterus.
• Pendunculated. These fibroids grow on stalks out from the uterus or into the uterine cavity, like mushrooms. If these stalks twist, they can cause pain, nausea or fever, or can become infected.