Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, Vol 11, Issue 10 511-515, Copyright © 1992 by American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
Longitudinal evaluation of uterine myoma growth during pregnancy. A sonographic study
P. Rosati, C. Exacoustos and S. Mancuso
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
Thirty-six pregnant women with a single uterine myoma were examined by
ultrasonography at 2 to 4 week intervals. The initial diagnosis was made in
12 patients before pregnancy and in the other 24 patients between 9 and 12
weeks of gestation. Thirty-four women had a scan 4 weeks after delivery. A
reduction in size was observed in puerperium, which may indicate a return
to its initial volume. Myoma growth was analyzed in different periods of
gestation. An increase in volume during pregnancy was observed in 31.6% of
cases. A statistically significant change in volume was noted between the
first and the third trimesters (P < 0.001). The greatest increase in
volume of myomas occurred before the 10th week of gestation. The
relationship between myoma volume and myoma growth in the different
gestational periods considered was not statistically significant. On the
other hand, when myoma volume was related to complications during pregnancy
or at delivery, a statistically significant difference was observed. Myomas
with volumes greater than 200 cm3 show a higher rate of complications than
those with volumes equal to or less than 100 cm3.
