Symptoms

Fibroids generally continue to grow until menopause and, although present, many women do not suffer any symptoms. Such asymptomatic fibroids usually do not require removal. When symptoms do occur, they may include:

         Heavy menstrual periods and/or bleeding in between periods, which may cause anemia requiring iron replacement or even blood transfusion

         Severe menstrual cramps

         Lower abdominal pain, fullness or pressure

    Frequent urination due to pressure on the bladder from the enlarged, fibroid uterus

         Problems with fertility or miscarriage

         Pain during sexual intercourse

         Back pain

         Constipation

         Swelling of the legs

These symptoms may exist individually or in any combination.

Diagnosis

In order to arrive at a diagnosis, the health care provider will first ask the patient to provide a history of symptoms, since fibroids can be caused by a variety of disorders. A series of tests will be considered: First, a pelvic exam is performed and from this exam the physician can determine whether the uterus is enlarged and/or irregular in shape. Next, an ultrasound or MR Imaging is usually advised - a painless procedure in which sound or radiofrequency waves are used to generate a picture of internal organs, respectively (See fig.2).

Fig. 2. Ultrasound of uterus shows two large (arrows) in the uterus.