Interstitial Uterine Fibroids - Symptoms, Causes And Treatment

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43

Interstitial uterine myoma

Content:

• Symptoms of interstitial uterine fibroids
• Causes of interstitial uterine fibroids
• Treatment of interstitial uterine fibroids

Interstitial uterine myoma is a benign formation that develops in the thickness of the muscular layer of the organ. Most often, the tumor does not leave the myometrium, but in some cases it can bulge out or into the uterus. The word "intramural" is a synonym for the name of interstitial myoma.

It is interstitial myoma, according to statistics, that is the most common type of gynecological tumors and it accounts for up to 95% of all neoplasms of the female genital area. The disease affects mainly women of reproductive age, although fibroids can develop during the postmenopausal period.

Symptoms of interstitial uterine fibroids

The fact that there is a myomatous node in the uterus can be guessed on the basis of the following signs:

• There are pains localized in the lower abdomen. They appear due to the fact that the formation squeezes the blood vessels and nerve endings. The nature of the pain varies, usually they are cramping, but sometimes they can be aching and mild;
• Uterine bleeding between periods - metrorrhagia. In addition, the very nature of menstruation changes, they become abundant and prolonged;
• Anemia, which is caused by blood loss in the process of recurrent intermenstrual bleeding. A drop in hemoglobin levels entails general symptoms of malaise: decreased performance, increased fatigue, lethargy, pallor of the skin and apathy;
• Disturbances in the work of the bladder and intestines, which is expressed in the frequent urge to urinate, or, conversely, in urinary retention and constipation. This is due to the large size of the fibroid and its pressure on nearby organs. The result is frequent pyelonephritis, cystitis, and the development of hemorrhoids.

Causes of interstitial uterine fibroids

The main factor that affects the formation of fibroids is hormonal imbalance.

The imbalance, in turn, can be triggered by the following reasons:

• Repeated artificial termination of pregnancy;
• Diseases of an infectious and non-infectious nature, accompanied by an inflammatory process in the pelvic organs;
• Frequent stress, increased neuropsychological stress;
• Endocrine system diseases;
• Congenital sexual infantilism;
• Obesity and diabetes mellitus;
• Irregular sex life;
• Genetic predisposition;
• Chronic diseases of the genitourinary system;
• Unbalanced diet and bad habits.

Treatment of interstitial uterine fibroids

The doctor decides how the fibroids will be treated. The tactics will depend on the size of the formation, on its location, on the number of nodes, the woman's age, the presence of concomitant diseases, etc.

Most often, doctors use both conservative and surgical effects on the tumor. The purpose of taking medications is to ensure that the woman has a decrease in the severity of clinical manifestations, and, perhaps, the neoplasm itself becomes smaller in size or completely disappears.

As medications, it is possible to use:

• Androgens;
• Gestagens;
• Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists;
• Antiandrogens.

When a woman is of childbearing age and has not yet entered the period of menopause, the most common drug for the treatment of fibroids is Norkolut, which helps to reduce uterine bleeding, including intermenstrual bleeding. Women who have entered the period of menopause are mainly prescribed Buserelin, which contributes to the accelerated onset of menopause and a decrease in the functionality of the ovaries.

On the subject: List of medicines used for uterine fibroids

Surgical intervention

If the doctor discovers that hormone therapy does not give the desired effect, then he sends the patient for surgery. In this case, taking medications can be continued as a preoperative preparation.

The indications for surgical intervention are:

• Tumor sizes exceeding 14 weeks of gestation;
• Location of fibroids in the submucosal layer;
• Accelerated tumor growth, its necrosis;
• Influence of interstitial fibroids on nearby organs and disruption of their functioning;
• A tumor that interferes with conception.

One of the least traumatic invasive treatments for fibroids is uterine artery embolization. This method is reduced to the fact that a catheter is inserted into the woman's femoral artery and brought to the uterine artery. The operation is performed under X-ray control. A special contrast agent containing polyvinyl alcohol is injected through this catheter. Its small grains block the blood flow of the node, which leads to the death of fibroid cells. As a rule, within a few weeks, the node dies off completely and is replaced by connective tissue. This is a highly effective procedure, after which in 98% of cases no further treatment is required.

As for the more traumatic types of surgical intervention, then when a tumor is detected, myomectomy can be performed, in which only the fibroid is removed. In addition, a hysterectomy can be performed when both the fibroids and the uterus are removed. Doctors do their best to avoid removing the uterus from a woman of reproductive age, as this will allow her to have a child in the future. But if the tumor has undergone malignancy (malignancy), then it is more expedient to remove it together with the uterus, and sometimes with the appendages.

On the subject: Do you need an operation? / Treatment without surgery - 3 modern methods

In addition to conservative and surgical treatment of fibroids, a woman needs to adhere to a certain diet. Thanks to a special diet, you can help the body fight illness and recover from surgery.

The earlier a woman asks for help, the more effective the treatment will be and, quite possibly, it will be possible to do without surgery. However, for this, it is necessary to regularly undergo gynecological examinations, and, if suspicious signs are found, immediately go for an ultrasound examination.

The author of the article: Lapikova Valentina Vladimirovna | Gynecologist, reproductologist

Education: Diploma in Obstetrics and Gynecology received at the Russian State Medical University of the Federal Agency for Healthcare and Social Development (2010). In 2013 completed postgraduate studies at N. N. N. I. Pirogova.