Of benign ovarian tumors, fibroids are common. It is a benign tumor from connective tissue that does not produce hormones. If inside the tumor, in addition to the connective tissue, there are cystic cavities filled with fluid, then this is not fibroids, but cystadenofibroma of the ovary.
The causes of the development of the disease are unknown, but most often ovarian fibroid appears against the background of hormonal disorders in other diseases of the reproductive system, a decrease in immunity, including inflammatory diseases of the genitourinary system.
Symptoms of ovarian fibroid
For a long time, fibroids may not give any symptoms and is detected only with gynecological examination or ultrasound . But with a large tumor size, its presence can be suspected by a triad of symptoms that, in addition to enlarging the abdomen in size, indicate ovarian fibrosis - ascites (the presence of free fluid in the abdominal cavity), pleurisy (inflammation of the pleura sheets, in which also the presence of fluid in the pleural cavities - hydrothorax), and anemia.
Diagnosis of fibroadenoma
To suspect a tumor the gynecologist can at gynecological survey, having found out at a palpation a firm, often uneven formation on an ovary, not morbid and mobile. Having discovered any formation on the ovary, the doctor prescribes an additional ultrasound examination, in which a uniform tissue formation, often limited to a capsule, is found in a circular form of different echogenicity. Occasionally, echonogative (dark) inclusions are found in the tumor, with dopplerography not detecting vascularization of the tumor.
Additionally, a histological or cytological examination of the tumor is performed to ensure that there is no malignant degeneration.
Ovarian fibroids - treatment
Treatment of fibroids is operative, medicamentous is not used. With a large tumor size, a medial laparotomy is used, with small tumors they are removed laparoscopically. Young women get a tumor from the capsule, leaving intact tissue of the ovary, or, with large tumor sizes and one-way process, remove one of the ovaries along with the tumor.
In the menopause with one or bilateral damage to the ovaries they are removed. The prognosis of the disease with appropriate treatment is favorable, the tumor very rarely degenerates into a malignant one, but once a year it is necessary to undergo a follow-up examination with a gynecologist after the end of treatment.