About Fibroid Cysts

A fibroid is a noncancerous tumor that grows in a woman's uterus. Fibroids tend to occur when a woman is between the ages of 25 and 35. A woman may have one, several or clusters of them present in her body. The tumor itself is harmless, but it can cause enough discomfort or pain to require surgical removal.

Misconceptions

"Fibroid cyst" is an incorrect term when referring to a fibroid tumor, for a cyst is a sac that contains fluid, air or other material, and a tumor is defined as an abnormal tissue mass. Other proper terms are "fibroids," "fibromyoma," "myoma," and "leiomyoma."

Cause

Some physicians say the cause of fibroids is unknown, except that that heredity can be a factor. However, other health care practitioners name estrogen dominance as the cause of fibroids, which happens when there is too much estrogen in relation to the level of progesterone in the body.

Types

There are three kinds of fibroids, defined by their location in the uterus. The most common are intramural fibroids, which develop inside the uterine wall. Submucous or submucosal fibroids grow within the uterine lining and tend to be the most problematic, since they can cause heavy menstrual bleeding. Subserous or subserosal fibroids form outside of the uterus.

Size

These growths vary in size. In laymen's terms, fibroids can be as small as a walnut, medium-sized like an orange or a grapefruit or as big as a volleyball. If they occur in clusters, individual tumors still vary in size.

Symptoms

Some women don't experience any symptoms. A fibroid's location, how many are present and their size contribute to symptoms and their severity. The most common sign is heavy menstrual bleeding. Others are pain or pressure in the pelvis, lower abdomen, lower back or in the back of the legs; urinary issues (frequently urinating, incontinence or retention); constipation or bloating; an enlarged abdomen; painful intercourse; problems with reproduction.

Rate of Occurance

Fibroids are common. Since ultrasounds can miss small fibroids and some women never show symptoms, many cases go undetected. An ultrasound can find fibroids in 60% of African-American women and 40% of Caucasian women by the age of 35; by the age of 50, those numbers increase to 80% and 70%, respectively.

Treatment

Fibroids were once routinely treated with a hysterectomy. Now they can be treated by either an abdominal myomectomy (a large incision is made in the lower abdomen and the fibroids are individually removed, thus preserving the uterus) or laparoscopic myomectomy (smaller incisions are made in the abdomen and tiny instruments are inserted in them to cut out the fibroids). Alternative medicine practicioners believe fibroids can be cured through vitamins, special diet and other homeopathic means.