Uterine fibroids (myomas) are noncancerous growths that develop in the muscular wall of the uterus. Fibroids may cause pain, heavy bleeding and pressure on the abdomen and pelvic organs. They also may interfere with fertility. Treatment options vary and include medication to control pain and bleeding, hormone therapy to shrink the tumor, surgery to remove the fibroid or hysterectomy. There are also promising experimental drugs that temporarily reduce fibroid symptoms.
A 47-year-old woman consulted a uterine myoma oriental clinic because of uterine pain and dysmenorrhea. She had a history of irregular menstrual periods and heavy bleeding after delivery of her first child. Her symptoms included abdominal pain and pressure, dysmenorrhea and abnormal vaginal secretion (leucorrhea). She was diagnosed with uterine fibroids.
Diagnosis of uterine fibroids is often made by physical exam and pelvic ultrasound. During the exam, the doctor checks for signs of other conditions that may be causing the uterine pain or abnormal bleeding, such as ovarian cysts and endometriosis. The doctor also asks about the woman’s family history of fibroid disease and her medical history.
Abnormal uterine bleeding and the presence of uterine fibroids can be detected with transabdominal or transvaginal ultrasounds. In addition, a procedure called hysteroscopy may be needed to see how far the fibroids extend into the uterus and to check for other causes of the abnormal bleeding.
If the fibroid is small and not causing any symptoms, it is usually not treated. Medications to control bleeding and hormones to induce menstrual cycles are used for women who do not want to undergo surgery. In more serious cases, the gynecologist may recommend a procedure to shrink the fibroid and preserve fertility. The most common procedures are laparoscopy and hysterectomy, but there is an alternative to these surgeries that removes only the fibroid and leaves the uterus intact. This is called a myomectomy. It is recommended for women who wish to have children and to avoid the risk of having a hysterectomy later.자궁근종한의원
Other less invasive surgical treatments are uterine artery embolization and radiofrequency ablation. During these procedures, the gynecologist inserts a thin tube in a blood vessel that supplies the fibroid and injects a liquid that blocks the flow of blood to the fibroid. This deprives the fibroid of its blood supply and causes it to shrink. These procedures are usually done under local anesthesia and do not require incisions or cuts in the skin.
Another option is a procedure called MRgFUS, which combines magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with ultrasound to visualize the uterus and ovaries. During the procedure, a radiologist uses a special device to heat and destroy the fibroid with a beam of ultrasound energy. During this procedure, the patient lies on an MRI table while the radiologist guides the device to the fibroid using the MRI images. This method is not suitable for all patients and can cause complications such as a ruptured fibroid, pelvic infection or miscarriage. For these reasons, a myomectomy is generally the preferred procedure for removing uterine fibroids.자궁내막증한의원