Cervical Fibroid: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Medically Reviewed by Dr Sravya, MBBS, MS

Introduction

According to the definition, a cervical fibroid is a benign (non-cancerous) growth made up of muscle tissues inside the uterine wall, also known as a leiomyoma or myeloma. While Virchow, the prestigious German Pathologist, established that such tumors came from the uterine smooth muscle, it was first proposed by Rokitansky (1860) and Klob (1863). During the reproductive years, this disease is frequently observed, especially in the top region of the uterus.

Around 25% of females of reproductive age are diagnosed with leiomyomas around the world. This fibroid varies in size. A large cervical fibroid may obstruct the flow of urine and cause discomfort for patients.

In This Article

Types Of Cervical Fibroids

According to their location and manner of attachment, uterine fibroids can be categorized into many categories. Uterine fibroids can take the following specific forms:

Intramural fibroids can be found in the uterine muscle wall. They are the most frequent kind.
Submucosal fibroids are tumors that occur underneath the mucous membrane that lines your uterus.
Subserosal fibroids are tumors that develop below the uterine lining on the outside of the body. They could expand into your pelvis until they became pretty huge.
Pedunculated fibroids are the smallest and most uncommon kind, attached to your uterus by a stalk or stem. Although they have a stalk and a broader top, they are frequently compared to mushrooms.

Risk Factors

There are varieties of risk factors for cervical fibroid, like :

Age:Factors like mensuration at an early age The prevalence of cervical fibroids is higher in older women.
Race:There is no specific address that is targeted for cervical fibroid. However, some studies have shown that women of color have more cases of cervical fibroid than the rest.
Family history: A strong family history of cervical fibroid can increase the chances of developing this condition.
Time since birth:In nulliparous (a woman who hasn’t given birth) women, the chances of fibroid disease increase.
Hypertension: Studies have shown that high blood pressure can increase the risk of uterine fibroids.
Diet: A diet that is full of red meat can increase the risk of uterine fibroids.
Pre-menopausal state: Fibroids, in 70 to 80% of cases, increase the growth of uterine fibroids.

Etiologies

The exact cause of uterine fibroids is not known, but studies have shown that fibroids are linked with a high level of the hormone estrogen, especially in reproductive age.

Hypervitaminosis D or vitamin D deficiency: Some studies have also shown that hypovitaminosis D or vitamin D deficiency could lead to these fibroids
Family history of cervical fibroid
Obesity
Nulliparity (women who have not given birth)
Delayed onset of menopause

Symptoms

Most of the women are asymptomatic, which could be due to the small size of the fibroid. However, if the fibroid is large, it can cause a lot of discomfort for the patient and interfere with her daily lifestyle.

Some of the symptoms are mentioned below

1.Abnormal vaginal bleeding

There could be normal vaginal bleeding in the cervical fibroid, which could cause anemia.

2. Pelvic pain

This could be due to the increase in the size of the cervical fibroid. The pain could be a dull and aching type of pain.

3. Painful intercourse

Painful intercourse or dyspareunia could be felt in the upper part of the vagina, pelvis, or thighs. After intercourse, this type of pain could last for 4-5 hours.

4. Anaemia

Because of the abnormal vaginal bleeding, there is a loss of blood. Anaemia could also lead to iron deficiency.

5. Vaginal discharge

To some extent, vaginal discharge is also seen. The vaginal discharge could be both offensive and non-offensive. If the vaginal discharge is offensive, it could be a sign of a urinary tract infection.

6. Dysuria

Dysuria means pain during micturition; it could be due to uterine fibroids or urinary tract infections caused by uterine fibroids.

7. Urinary tract infection

The tendency for urinary tract infections increases with conditions like uterine fibroids. This is usually because you have fibroids that block the flow of urine and this causes a backflow, which, in turn, creates an environment for the bacteria inside the body, leading to urinary tract infections

8. Sensation of heaviness

If the uterine fibroid is huge, then it could cause a feeling of discomfort or heaviness.

Complication

Infertility is the most common complication in cervical fibroids
Thromboembolism is an obstruction in the blood flow that could be because of cervical fibroid
Another common complication of a fibroid is constipation.
Red degeneration; hemorrhagic infection during pregnancy, which can cause complications like gangrene, mesenteric vein thrombosis, acute renal failure, and vaginal or intraperitoneal bleeding.

Diagnosis

our position may ask you for signs and symptoms of your condition. A detailed case history will be taken. However, to confirm the diagnosis, the doctor may ask to run some tests on you to confirm the condition.

1.Blood test

To determine whether you have anemia due to chronic blood loss or to rule out any other underlying condition.

2 Ultrasound of the abdomen and pelvis

To map and assess fibroids as well as confirm the diagnosis, it uses sound waves to create a picture of your uterus.

3.Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

To understand the size and location of the fibroid. MRIs become more important for women who are reaching menopause.

4.Hysterosonography

This test expands the uterine cavity with sterile salt water (saline), allowing women who are attempting to get pregnant or who are experiencing heavy bleeding every month to conveniently capture additional images of submucosal fibroids and the lining of the uterus.

5. Transvaginal ultrasonography

An examination of a woman’s uterus, ovaries, tubes, cervix, and pelvic region is done using transvaginal ultrasonography.

6. Laparoscopy

Laparoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure where the physician needs access to the inside of the abdomen without a major, invasive surgical procedure.

7. Computed tomography

This is not an accurate test, but sometimes it can detect calcified uterine fibroids.

Treatment

If the size of the fibroid is asymptomatic or small, the doctor may keep you under close observation, and you may not require surgical intervention. However, if the size of the fibroid is large, you may require medications or surgical treatment if needed.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
Antifibrinolytics
Progestin-releasing intrauterine device (IUD)
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) medications
Vitamin and iron supplements

When the surgery takes place, there are certain factors that the physician may rely on, which are stated below:

All these factors are considered highly important when performing surgery.

Surgical treatment includes

Myomectomy

This is a type of gynecological surgery where the removal of leiomyomas or cervical fibroids becomes necessary to preserve the uterus.

Total hysterectomy

Total hysterectomy means complete removal of the uterus. This type of surgery is done when a woman no longer wants to get pregnant.

Uterine artery embolization

This is one of the types of gynecological surgery where the blood supply to the fibroid is cut off. This results in the shrinking of the fibroid.