Uterine Fibroids Health Center

Understanding Uterine Fibroids -- Diagnosis and Treatment

How Do I Know If I Have Uterine Fibroids?

Fibroids are often first found during a routine pelvic exam. To double check, an ultrasound may be performed, either transvaginally or abdominally. A three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound or an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) can also be used to find the fibroids, a process called fibroid mapping.

What Are the Treatments for Uterine Fibroids?

If your fibroids aren't causing you any problems, it is reasonable to consider doing nothing. Not all fibroids grow. Even large fibroids may not cause any symptoms, and most fibroids shrink after menopause. But you should monitor their growth, especially if you develop symptoms such as bleeding or pain, by having exams every six months.

Hormone Therapy

To help prevent more growth of the fibroid, your doctor may recommend that you stop taking birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy. But in some cases, oral contraceptives are prescribed to help control the bleeding and anemia from fibroids, even though in some circumstances hormones may cause fibroids to grow.

GnRH Agonists

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists may be prescribed to shrink fibroids and reduce anemia. These drugs are expensive and shouldn't be taken for more than six months due to the risk of developing osteoporosis. A low-dose of progestin may be given with GnRH agonists to avoid osteoporosis and menopausal symptoms. Once women stop taking the drug, the fibroids regrow. Therefore, this treatment is usually given primarily to shrink the size of the fibroids or to improve anemia in preparation for surgery.

SERMs

SERMs, or selective estrogen receptor modulators, may be able to shrink fibroids without causing menopause symptoms, but further investigation is needed to determine their efficacy.

Progestin-releasing Intrauterine Device

While this treatment does not shrink the fibroids, it can control the associated bleeding and cramping.

Fibroid Embolization

To shrink a fibroid, your doctor may recommend uterine fibroid embolization. In this procedure, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is injected into the arteries that feed the fibroid. The PVA blocks the blood supply to the fibroid, causing it to shrink. Uterine fibroid embolization is a nonsurgical procedure, but you may need to spend several nights in the hospital since nausea, vomiting, and pain may occur in the first few days afterward.