Fibroids Flashcards
What increases the risk of fibroids?
Black ethnicity, early puberty, obesity, increasing age
Protective factors against fibroids
Pregnancy, increasing number of pregnancies
What is the most common cause of degeneration?
hyaline degeneration - the fibroid outgrows it’s blood supply (60% of leiomyomas)
What is cystic degeneration?
Like hyaline degeneration, the fibroid outgrows it’s blood supply but these types of fibroid show cystic areas on ultrasound due to oedema and fluid collection within the degenerated fibroid and high signal areas onT2 MRI
What is myxoid degeneration?
Like cystic and hyaline degeneration, the fibroids outgrow their blood supply, but these fibroids form multiple cystic areas which are gelatinous in consistency and show very high signal on T2 weighted MRI
What is red/carneous degeneration?
Uncommon type of fibroid degeneration which is most common in pregnancy and may cause abdominal pain, fever and leucocystosis - it is caused by haemorrhagic infarction - may have a high signal border on T1 (clotted blood) and T2 signal is variable (may also be high in response to methaheamogobin). ultrasound may show a blood filled collection
What is endometrial tissue found in the myometrium called?
Adenomyosis
What is endometrial tissue found outside of the uterus called?
endometriosis
A patient with endometriosis has lower back pain and tender nodules on PV exam - where is the endometriosis located?
in the uterosacral ligaments
