Types of uterine fibroids

Uterine fibroids are a relatively common disease, but people do not take into account that uterine fibroids are divided into different types. Some uterine fibroids may become larger, while others may become smaller. This still depends on a person's physical condition. Uterine fibroids are also divided into three different stages of severity and urgency. Most of them are benign tumors, but they require regular early treatment when discovered.

Diagnostic criteria for uterine fibroids

1. Excessive menstruation, prolonged menstruation or irregular bleeding, hard lumps in the lower abdomen, pain and pressure symptoms in a few cases, or accompanied by anemia.

2. The uterus is enlarged and hard.

3. Detect growth or deformation of the uterine cavity.

4. During the curettage, a convex surface was felt in the uterine cavity.

5. B-mode ultrasonography and/or hysteroscopy can assist in the diagnosis.

Why do uterine fibroids cause infertility?

Uterine fibroids are the most common solid benign tumors in the female reproductive tract.

Uterine fibroids are formed by the proliferation of smooth muscle tissue. They are common in people aged 30 to 40. They can grow singly or in multiples and can vary in size. The cause of uterine fibroids is still unclear, but most people believe that it is related to excessive estrogen stimulation in the body.

The incidence of infertility in patients with uterine fibroids is approximately 22% to 32%, among which submucosal fibroids have the highest incidence of infertility. Uterine fibroids can be divided into subserosal fibroids, intramural fibroids, submucosal fibroids, cervical fibroids, ligament fibroids, etc. according to their occurrence site.

Generally, small or solitary subserosal and intramural uterine fibroids do not affect conception and pregnancy.

Uterine fibroids may lead to infertility in the following situations:

(1) Larger uterine fibroids can deform the uterine cavity, which is not conducive to the passage of sperm, implantation of the fertilized egg, and fetal development.

(2) Fibroids growing near the uterine horns can compress the opening of the fallopian tubes, causing blockage.

(3) Fibroids growing in the lumen of the fallopian tube can cause the fallopian tube that benefits from its surface to stretch and twist, squeezing the lumen and affecting its patency, or dislocate the ovary, widening the distance between the ovary and the fallopian tube, and hindering the egg-collecting function of the fimbria of the fallopian tube.

(4) Uterine fibroids growing in the cervix can compress the cervical canal. Blocking the channel or changing the direction of the cervical opening, moving it away from the semen pool in the posterior fornix, is not conducive to the entry of sperm into the cervical opening.

(5) Submucosal uterine fibroids that grow in the uterine cavity are like a spherical intrauterine device placed in the uterine cavity, hindering fertility. The endometrium on the surface of the uterine cavity is ischemic, necrotic, and atrophic, which is not conducive to the implantation of the fertilized egg.

(6) Uterine fibroids can cause the frequency, amplitude, and duration of uterine contractions to exceed the normal baseline, interfering with the implantation of the fertilized egg or causing miscarriage after implantation.