How to Diagnose Myoma

A myoma is a benign tumor arising from muscle tissue. This usually refers to uterine leiomyomas, more commonly known as uterine fibroids. This type of myoma is the most common tumor of the female reproductive system and can be found in 20 to 25 percent of all women, especially between the ages of 35 and 49. The following steps will show how to diagnose a myoma.

Instructions

• 1

  Expect most myomas to be asymptomatic with only 10 to 20 percent requiring treatment. The symptoms are dependent on the size and location but the most common one is a heavy menstrual flow. Women also may experience greater abdominal pain during the menstrual period and bladder pressure.

• 2

  Use ultrasound as the preferred imaging technique for uterine fibroids. Transabdominal and transvaginal images should show a concentric solid mass with variable shadowing caused by the prevailing muscle.

• 3

  Observe the degree of echogenicity of the myoma. Calcification and fibrous tissue will increase the degree to which sound waves are reflected by the tumor. Necrotic tissue will be anechoic.

• 4

  Consider the effect of tumor location. The ultrasound image may only show a bulge in the uterine contour if the tumor is small and isoechoic with the uterus. Most fibroids are located in the wall of the uterus but also may be below the mucosa or serosa.

• 5

  Assess a myoma with Magnetic Imaging Resonance (MRI) in cases where ultrasound findings are unclear. Uterine fibroid tumors should show with sharp margins on both T1 and T2 weighted images.