Uterine leiomyoma in a 19-year-old girl: Case report and literature review

Therapeutic Management of Giant Uterine Fibroid: A Case Report

The most common benign tumor that affects female reproductive system is a uterine fibroid or leiomyomas, especially during their reproductive years. The prevalence is around 20-40% women in the age group of 14-45 years. The following case report proffers the diagnosis and management of a female diagnosed with uterine fibroids. In this case a 45-year-old woman presented to the tertiary rural hospital with an unusually large distended abdomen which on examination and imaging revealed a big fibroid growing inside the uterus. The case highlights the significance of a collaborative approach involving gynecologists, interventional radiologists, and surgeons. Their combined expertise provides patients with various treatment options: medical management, minimally invasive procedures, and surgical interventions. During the decision-making process, factors such as the patient's age, desire for fertility preservation, and impact of fibroids on her quality of life are taken into account. This particular case showcases successful pre-hysterectomy uterine artery embolization of large uterine leiomyoma while emphasizing the importance of personalized care and shared decision making for optimal patient outcomes.

Uterine fibroids - Causes, impact, treatment, and lens to the African perspective

Leiomyomas, or uterine fibroids as they are commonly known, are mostly seen in women of reproductive age. However, they can go undetected in most women, and approximately 25% of women show clinical symptoms. Although fibroids are a global burden impacting 80% of premenopausal women, they are more prevalent among Black women than among women of other races. Based on clinical diagnosis, the estimated cumulative incidence of fibroids in women ≤50 years old is significantly higher for black (>80%) versus white women (∼70%). The cause of leiomyomas is not clearly known, but studies have shown evidence of factors that drive the development or exacerbation of the disease. Evidence has linked risk factors such as lifestyle, age, environment, family history of uterine fibroids, and vitamin D deficiencies to an increased risk of uterine fibroids, which impact women of African descent at higher rates. Treatments may be invasive, such as hysterectomy and myomectomy, or non-invasive, such as hormonal or non-hormonal therapies. These treatments are costly and tend to burden women who have the disease. Sub-Saharan Africa is known to have the largest population of black women, yet the majority of uterine fibroid studies do not include populations from the continent. Furthermore, the prevalence of the disease on the continent is not well determined. To effectively treat the disease, its drivers need to be understood, especially with regard to racial preferences. This paper aims to review the existing literature and build a case for conducting future research on African women.

Successful Laparoscopic Myomectomy in Giant Myoma

A giant uterine fibroid is a rare tumor of the uterus. Uterine leiomyomas are the most common type of a benign tumor that arises from the female pelvis. Uterine leiomyoma is a smooth muscle tumor. Its prevalence is more in reproductive age group and decreases after menopause. They are rare in adolescents. In reproductive age group, the preferred mode of management of fibroid is myomectomy. For large myomas, the role of laparoscopic myomectomy is still controversial. Laparoscopic myomectomy for giant myoma is technically challenging and should be performed by an experienced surgeon. We herein report the case of a 32-year-old unmarried girl who visited our hospital with the complaint of progressive abdominal distension and discomfort from the past 4-5 months. Ultrasonography was done, and it showed a markedly enlarged uterus containing a 16 cm × 17 cm subserosal fibroid and 3 cm × 4 cm intramural fibroid. Magnetic resonance imaging suggestive of three myoma, one sub serosal myoma at fundal region of 11.2 cm × 9.6 cm × 14.2 cm, second intramural fibroid in the lateral wall of the uterus of 3 cm × 3 cm and a small submucosal fibroid of dimension 1.1 cm × 0.9 cm × 0.8 cm. Laparoscopic myomectomy was planned and completed successfully with no intra- and postoperative complications. Intraoperative finding was suggestive of 20 cm × 20 cm × 18 cm fundal fibroid and 2 cm × 3 cm lateral wall fibroid. The defect was closed using V-lock suture in two layers. The myoma was removed by tissue morcellator. In the literature, only a few cases reported of successful removal of giant myoma by laparoscopy.