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= Paid-up subscribersWomen's health: Management of fibroids should be tailored to the patient
22 Mar 2011
At least one in four women will develop one or more fibroids during their lifetime. They are most common in women aged 30-50 years and can run in families. Patients often have multiple fibroids, although some women have just one. Fibroids are three times more common in women of Afro-Caribbean descent than Caucasian women. Risk factors for the development of fibroids are:age; nulliparity; race; family history; obesity. There appears to be a decreased risk in smokers. Fibroids may be found during a routine examination or by chance during a scan for some other reason. On bimanual examination the uterus appears irregular in outline. An ultrasound scan can confirm the diagnosis. If the uterus is >12 weeks in size and/or palpable abdominally, an abdominal scan should be requested. Uterine length in centimetres is equivalent to weeks in size i.e. a 12 cm uterus is equivalent to a 12-week uterus. Women with menorrhagia and fibroids >12 cm and/or a palpable uterus should be referred to a specialist for further opinion.
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