Women's Health: Uterine Fibroids
What Are Uterine Fibroids?
Fibroids are benign (non-cancerous) growths that originate from the
wall of a woman's uterus. Other names for fibroids include leiomyoma
(lie-o-my-o-ma), myoma, or fibromyoma. These growths, or tumors, vary
widely in size and shape. They may be as small as a chestnut or as large
as a cantaloupe. Fibroids can even be large enough to cause a woman's
uterus to expand to the size it would be at 4 to 5 months of pregnancy.
Fibroids are extremely vascular, which means that they have a great deal
of blood flowing to them. Without this blood flow a fibroid cannot
survive.
The uterus has multiple layers. These layers are depicted in figure 1.
Fibroids originate from the myometrium (my-o-me-tree-um) and grow to
involve the different uterine layers. The exact location of a fibroid is
an important determinant of the symptoms it may produce. Location will
also help determine the appropriate treatment for symptomatic fibroids.
Fibroids are assigned names based on layer of the uterus that they
primarily involve:
- Intramural fibroids are within the middle layer of the
uterine wall. This is the most common location for fibroids. Fibroids
in this location most often produce low-back or pelvic pain. These
fibroids may also contribute to heavy menstrual bleeding.
- Submucosal (sub-mew-ko-sal) fibroids are located just beneath
the inner lining of the uterus. This inner lining is called the
endometrium (end-o-me-tree-um). The endometrium is the most active
layer during a woman's monthly hormonal cycle. This layer increases
in thickness until the end of the cycle when this tissue is shed
during a woman's period. Given these facts, it is not surprising
that fibroids in this layer often produce bleeding problems. The
endometrium is also very important in achieving pregnancy. This layer
is where a fertilized egg should implant itself following conception.
When a submucosal fibroid protrudes into the uterine cavity, it can
make it difficult for a woman to get pregnant.
- Subserosal fibroids are located just beneath the outer lining
of the uterus, or serosa (sir-o-sa). They produce an irregular uterine
surface but generally do not cause bleeding. Fibroids in this location
most often produce pelvic pain or fullness.
Fibroid Q&A: Causes, Diagnosis and
Treatment
Information
in this section is provided by Rhode
Island Hospital's department of radiology, which offers a complete
range of diagnostic and interventional procedures for women, including
uterine artery embolization, a leading treatment for fibroid tumors. Back
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