Hysteroscopic resection of uterine submucous leiomyoma protruding through hymen in a 16-year-old adolescent

Submucous leiomyoma: an uncommon cause of heavy menstrual bleeding in early adolescence

Uterine leiomyomas are rare in the paediatric population. This report describes a rare case of a submucous leiomyoma in an adolescent girl. The patient presented with a history of abnormal and painful period which was refractory to medical treatment. Sonographic findings revealed a uterine mass that protruded through the cervix until the upper third of the vagina. A hysteroscopic resection was performed, and a pathological examination confirmed a leiomyoma. 12 months after surgery, there were no signs of recurrence. Conservative sparing-fertility management, such as hysteroscopic resection, is the best option with a type 0 submucosal fibroid, especially in adolescents and young women.

Uterine Fibroid in a 16-Year-Old Adolescent Managed with a Fertility-Sparing Approach: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

BACKGROUND

Uterine fibroids are the most common benign tumor of the uterus in adult women. However, it is exceedingly rare in adolescents.

CASE

A 16-year-old girl presented with severe anemia and abnormal uterine bleeding. MRI of the pelvis demonstrated a 9-cm mass within the uterus concerning for leiomyoma or leiomyosarcoma. A fertility preserving myomectomy led to the final diagnosis of a benign uterine fibroid.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

Despite the rare incidence of leiomyomas in adolescents, it is imperative that it is included in the differential diagnosis when young women present with abnormal uterine bleeding. A less common diagnosis to consider is leiomyosarcoma; however, this is histologically diagnosed. Thus, a fertility-preserving myomectomy permits for a diagnostic opportunity to rule out a potential malignancy.

Laparoscopic Myomectomy of a Symptomatic Uterine Leiomyoma in a 15-Year-Old Adolescent

BACKGROUND

Although adnexal masses and ovarian torsion are common causes of acute pain in the female adolescent, fibroids are an uncommon etiology and little is reported in the literature. Because of the rarity of adolescent leiomyomas, the best surgical management is still unknown.

CASE

To our knowledge, this is the first case report of a laparoscopic myomectomy in the adolescent population. The removed fibroid is one of the largest documented cases of uterine leiomyoma in adolescents.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

Degenerative fibroids, albeit less common, should be kept on the differential diagnosis, as a possible cause of pelvic mass and pain in the adolescent population. Fibroids in the adolescent patient, like the adult, can be managed with minimally invasive surgery with excellent clinical outcomes.

Use of hysteroscope for vaginoscopy or hysteroscopy in adolescents for the diagnosis and therapeutic management of gynecologic disorders: a systematic review

STUDY OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this article is to review the published literature and perform a systematic review to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of the use of a hysteroscope for vaginoscopy or hysteroscopy in diagnosing and establishing therapeutic management of adolescent patients with gynecologic problems.

DESIGN

A systematic review.

SETTING

PubMed, Web of science, and Scopus searches were performed for the period up to September 2013 to identify all the eligible studies. Additional relevant articles were identified using citations within these publications.

PARTICIPANTS

Female adolescents aged 10 to 18 years.

RESULTS

A total of 19 studies were included in the systematic review. We identified 19 case reports that described the application of a hysteroscope as treatment modality for some gynecologic conditions or diseases in adolescents. No original study was found matching the age of this specific population.

CONCLUSIONS

A hysteroscope is a useful substitute for vaginoscopy or hysteroscopy for the exploration of the immature genital tract and may help in the diagnosis and treatment of gynecologic disorders in adolescent patients with an intact hymen, limited vaginal access, or a narrow vagina.

Presentation and treatment of uterine leiomyoma in adolescence: a systematic review

Background

Uterine leiomyoma is the most common gynecological tumor in the reproductive years. However, it is extremely rare in adolescence (<1%), with few reports found in the literature. The biological behavior of such tumors in this age group is unknown, as well as the best possible treatment for this population. We aimed to analyze all available reports of uterine leiomyoma in adolescence.

Methods

A systematic review was performed at PubMed/MEDLINE and EMBASE. Between 1965 and 2014, 19 reports were found on uterine leiomyoma in patients under 18 years. The following parameters were discussed: age, tumor diameter, symptoms, clinical treatments, surgical treatments, hemodynamic changes.

Results

Mean age was 15.35 (14–17) years. Mean tumor diameter was 12.28 cm (3–30) and median diameter was 10 cm. Most patients presented with symptoms (87.5%), including abnormal uterine bleeding (10/18) and pelvic/abdominal pain (6/18). A pelvic mass was the most common finding. Two patients required transfusion due to anemia. One patient underwent abdominal hysterectomy, and the others underwent myomectomy. Mean follow-up was 1 year and 8 months, and only case recurred, after 6 months.

Conclusion

Leiomyomas’ biologic behavior in adolescents may be different from that of older women, but their molecular characteristics still haven’t been analyzed. Optimal treatment is still not defined, but myomectomy has several advantages in this population. Leiomyomas must be remembered as an important differential diagnosis of pelvic mass in adolescents.