Fibroids are most commonly used to describe a type of tissue that grows in the uterus and is therefore more accurately referred to as uterine fibroids or leiyomyomas. Fibrotic tissue otherwise is used to describe the occurrence of scar tissue in various parts of the body. The liver, for example, develops scar tissue after extensive damage occurs to it in a disease called cirrhosis. The exact reason for uterine fibroids occurring is not completely clear but the fact is that most women will end up getting uterine fibroids at some point in their lives – the current figures stand at 20 to 40 per cent. The reason for most women not turning up and complaining about the complications that are associated with uterine fibroids is because in most cases, they are quite asymptomatic and one would hardly even know that they exist.
Uterine fibroids could be located at any part of the uterus. They are most commonly found in the region between the endometrium and the layer below called the myometrium. In other, more complicated cases they can be found growing into the peritoneum and also in the cervix. A uterine fibroid is not a growth of tissue that is cancerous and will not endanger one’s life; however, they can make for painful menses and sexual intercourse if they are too large. Only in the rarest cases will a leiyomyoma end up becoming cancerous in the form of a leiyomyosarcoma. The most preferred treatment for dealing with large fibroids that is invading the cervix and peritoneum is surgery. This involves cutting away the fibrous tissue. This results in a lot of damage and tissue loss to the uterus which could probably result in a lot of complications later on. Smaller portions of uterine fibroids are curiously treated with the same methodology that is used to treat endometriosis. This will not totally eliminate the fibroid tissue but will substantially contribute to reducing the size of some of the uterine fibroids.
The treatment consists of the use of progesterone that will modulate the effects of estrogen on the uterine tissue. Estrogen causes the growth of the endometrial tissue and is known to cause fibroids as well. Progesterone treatments require the use of norethisterone – a progestin – to be taken daily during a twenty day period. After that, menses will destroy the endometrium and possibly some of the fibrous tissue will also reduce in size.