What Are Fibroids?
Fibroids are bundles of tissue that sometimes appear in the uterus. Unlike the normal muscle of the uterus, which is somewhat smooth and soft, fibroids are tough. There are three main types of fibroids, all named based on their location. Submucosal fibroids invade the uterine cavity, occupying the same space a child would develop during pregnancy.
Intramural fibroids form inside the lining of the uterine wall, within the muscle. Subserosal or extramural fibroids grow on the outside surface of the uterus. Other types of fibroids include peduncuated fibroids, cervical fibroids, broad ligament fibroids, or parasitic fibroids, which are further away from the uterine body.
Many fibroids are small — the size of peas. However, they can also grow so large that they bulge into the uterus and press on nearby organs, causing pain and other symptoms. While they aren’t a functional part of the uterus, fibroids are not a type of cancer. They may not be life-threatening, but a large-enough fibroid can make life difficult during menstruation and between cycles.
Who Gets Fibroids?
Studies have shown that African-American women are more likely to develop fibroids than Caucasian women; nearly one in five African-American women will receive a fibroid diagnosis at some time in her life.
Though no one has determined what exactly causes fibroids, it’s known that fibroids respond to hormones. Menstruating women in their late 20s, 30s, and 40s are the most likely to get fibroids.
What Are Common Fibroids Symptoms?
What happens when someone develops a fibroid depends on the size and locations of the fibroids. Submucosal fibroids can cause long-term issues like infertility and miscarriage, and they can present the most severe day-to-day symptoms. “These are the fibroids that people come in with and have to get a blood transfusion because they’re really anemic”.
When it comes to intramural and extramural fibroids, symptoms develop more gradually.
Larger fibroids can cause a sense of fullness or heaviness in the lower abdomen. Large extramural fibroids can even cause back pain. With the more extreme cases, the uterus might bulge out, causing the sufferer to look pregnant. But tiny fibroids cause few, if any, symptoms.
How Are Fibroids Treated?
The best treatment for these tough balls of tissue is determined by the symptoms. If fibroids are small and asymptomatic, the best choice may be to simply keep a careful eye on them. Fibroids can remain for years without causing symptoms and may shrink after menopause. But there are a number of options for fibroids that require treatment.
Fibroids can be removed surgically, and submucosal fibroids are the easiest to remove. If the patient isn’t actively seeking pregnancy, symptoms can often be controlled with hormones that shrink the fibroids and help reduce pain and bleeding.
Alternatively, fibroids can be removed using minimally invasive surgical techniques, such as robotic surgery, with uterine reconstruction, which can allow a patient to preserve her uterine functions and get pregnant.
