Uterine fibroids are benign tumors that affect 70% of women within 50 years. About 1 out of 4 women in reproductive age experience symptoms, including very painful menstruation. Causes are genetic factors, with steroid hormones and growth factors added. According to a study, intramural fibrosis may interfere with the fertility and success of IVF.

Depending on the type of fibroma, the effects on female fertility also change. The uterine myomas distort the uterine cavity, increasing the risk of infertility and spontaneous abortion. Subconscious fibers that grow out of the uterus, however, do not seem to have any adverse effects on reproduction. The role of intramural fibrosis is much more controversial. The study evaluated the impact of these on IVF.

The study involved 163 women with intramural fibroids that did not distort the cavity. All concerned were scheduled for IVF procedures. They were accompanied by a 326-woman non-fibrous-free control group. The researchers injected all of the first dose of hormone to stimulate follicles. Some implanted embryos after 3 days, and others after 5 days.

The pregnancy rate was 32.5% in the first group, compared with 42.6% in the second group. The rate of live births in women with fibroids was 26.9%, compared with 37.4% in the other. The percentage of live births has been almost unchanged among women with 1 fibroma and 2 or more fibroids. The percentage of pregnancies has changed significantly.

The smaller fibers of 3 cm were not associated with a significant negative impact. Those over 3 cm instead had a very important impact on IVF outcomes. The cause is unclear, as intramural fibroids do not affect the shape of the uterus. Surgical removal causes scarring and delayed the onset of fertilization treatments. All this without increasing the number of pregnancies significantly.

Source: medscape.com