UTERINE FIBROID AND INFERTILITY

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Hi Steemians, During one of the series of lectures we had yesterday, the lecturer talked on UTERINE FIBROID and I felt it will be nice if I shared the information with the steemit community, especially steemit ladies and also men who have wives in their reproductive age.

First we will look at Definition, types, causes, signs and symptoms, few treatment modalities and finally it's relationship with infertility.

DEFINITION
Uterine fibroids are benign/non-cancerous tumours that originate in the uterus( also known as womb). Statistically, Fibroids are the most frequently seen tumours of the female reproductive system.
Fibroids, also known as uterine myomas, leiomyomas, or fibromas, are firm, compact tumours that are made of smooth muscle cells and fibrous connective tissue that develop in the uterus.
It is estimated that between 20 to 50 percent of women of reproductive age have fibroids, although not all are diagnosed. Some estimates state that up to 30 to 77 percent of women will develop fibroids sometime during their childbearing years, although only about one-third of these fibroids are large enough to be detected by a health care provider during a physical examination.(source:UCLA.edu)

In more than 99 percent of fibroid cases, the tumors are benign (non-cancerous) and they may range in size, some can be so large that it might cause bladder discomfort.

TYPES OF UTERINE FIBROID
Uterine fibroids are usually described based on their location in the uterus. There are 4 major types known for now.
. Types of uterine fibroids

1).Subserosal fibroids
are located beneath the serosa (the lining membrane on the outside of the uterus). These often appear localized on the outside surface of the uterus or may be attached to the outside surface by a pedicle.

2).Submucosal (submucous) fibroids
are located inside the uterine cavity beneath the inner lining of the uterus. Intramural fibroids are located within the muscular wall of the uterus.

3).Intramural fibroids are located within the muscular wall of the uterus.

4).Edunculated fibroids grow on a stalk of tissue known as a pedical (like a mushroom), extending either inside the cavity of the uterus or outside the uterus from its outer surface.

CAUSES.
The exact mechanism behind the development of uterine fibroids are unknown. Predisposing factors like
*Genetics: Genetic abnormalities, disturbances in the growth factors/cell proliferation .

• Family history: there's a strong relationship between women developing fibroids in the same family
  *Race: African descent puts you at higher risk twice more than any other race and early onset of symptoms.
  *Estrogen: This hormone tends to stimulate the growth of fibroids if there's is no inhibitory effect from progesterone.

SYMPTOMS OF UTERINE FIBROID
In most cases, uterine fibroids are usually symptomless, this makes the woman with the condition unaware of it. However when symptoms arise, they could be
1). Uterine bleeding : most common symptom. If the tumours are near the uterine lining, they could cause heavy periods, prolonged periods and pain. When the bleeding becomes excessive, a complication like iron deficiency anemia may develop
2). Large fibroids could cause pressure,
pelvic pain
dyspareunia( pain during sexual intercourse)
pressure on bladder that will lead to frequent or obstructed urination.
Pressure on the rectum that will cause difficulty in defaecating.
Treatment modalities and it's relationship with infertility will be discussed in my next post. Love steemit.