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 Medical
information
What are Fibroids?
Fibroids, (also called myomas or leiomyomas), are benign smooth muscle tumours.
- They are the most common uterine benign tumour (neoplasm),
and the most common reason for hysterectomy in women under
the age of 50.
- Fibroids are usually multiple.
- At least half of all women over the age of 35 have fibroids, but less than 50% have symptoms.
- They are more common among women who have no children (nulliparous), are obese, or from particular ethnic backgrounds (African).
- Fibroids usually shrink after the menopause.
What are the symptoms?
The three most common symptoms associated with fibroids are:
- heavy periods (menorrhagia)
- pressure symptoms, and
- pain
Fibroids are not a common cause of infertility. Symptoms depend on the location, size and number of fibroids.
What are the possible treatments?
Treatment options include:
- observation,
- drug therapy,
- surgical removal (myomectomy),
- restricting the blood supply to the fibroids (embolization),
- uterine artery ligation, and
- hysterectomy.
There are no 'alternative' therapies that have been objectively demonstrated to shrink fibroids.
If you would like to know more about fibroids, download this PDF
on Uterine
Fibroids, or look up the links on the right hand side
of this page
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Links: |
Better Health Channel
A site set up by the Victorian Government to provide access to online health information which is reliable and up-to-date
womens-health uk
this website is maintained by Danny Tucker who grew up in Adelaide and is currently a Clinical Lecturer at Oxford University dividing his time between teaching student doctors, research projects and clinical work.
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