Epidemiological factors associated with uterine fibroids

• Autor(a) principal: Barbosa, Lígia Flávia da Silva
• Data de Publicação: 2012
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.6/1066
• topic: Mioma uterino; Fibromioma; Ecografia pélvica - Mioma uterino; Leiomyoma

Introduction: The uterine fibroids are the most common benign neoplasm in the female genital tract. However, the prevalence of this disease in the general population is unknown, which justifies this investigation. Objective: To evaluate epidemiological factors associated with uterine myomas, in a setting of a private medical clinic. Methodology: It is presented as a cross-sectional research, drafted with a descriptive and an analytical component. To collect data a routine demographic computerized file was kept for every patient and a pelvic transvaginal or transrectal ultrasonography was performed. We retrieved from each patient their age at the time of consultation, weight, height, age of menarche, number of pregnancies, pregnancy outcome, marital status, level of education, menstrual cycle and contraceptive method used. Through the ultrasound examination, we recorded the presence of uterine myomas, their number and the largest dimension of the biggest myoma. Results: From the total women studied by ultrasonography (n = 624), uterine myomas were documented in 161 (25,8%) cases. Single myomas were presented in 49,7% (n = 80) and the majority of women had small fibroids, between 10 mm to 19 mm (41,6%, n = 67). Ages between 40 and 59 years, married marital status, overweight, menopause, previous pregnancy and delivery and complaints of menorrhagia were associated with a higher risk for uterine fibroids. The use of combined hormonal contraceptives was found to be a protective factor. Since these variables, after conducting a multivariate analysis, were all age dependent, we can suggest that aging is the only factor associated with the presence of uterine fibroids. Menorrhagia, metrorrhagia and pelvic pain were associated with a higher risk for multiple uterine fibroids. The use of combined hormonal contraceptives was associated with a higher risk for single fibroids. Ages between 40 and 59 years and a history of pregnancy and delivery were associated with a smaller dimension of the leiomyomas. Conclusion: Uterine myoma is a very common pathology among the female population. In our study, the only risk factor related with uterine fibroids was aging. Pregnacy and delivery seem to be associated with myomas of a smaller dimension. Single myoma is more common in patients using combined hormonal contraception.