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Doctors in Singapore have successfully removed a so-called giant uterine fibroid weighing about 61 pounds. (28 kilograms) of the abdomen of a 53-year-old woman, according to a new report.
From the medical point of view, a fibroid gains the "giant" descriptor when it weighs 25 pounds. (11 kg). In the case of the woman, however, the mass tipped the scales to more than double that weight.
Fibroids, or "uterine leiomyomas," are a type of benign or non-cancerous tumor of the uterus. According to the Mayo Clinic, they can be as small as a seed or become so big that they form a bulky mass that can deform and enlarge the uterus. In most cases, fibroids do not cause symptoms, according to the Cleveland Clinic, but symptoms such as excessive bleeding during menstruation, pain during intercourse, frequent urination or a feeling of satiety at the bottom -ventre can appear. [27 Oddest Medical Cases]
The woman in this case sought medical attention because the weight of the fibroid had made it difficult for her to move, leaving her largely bedridden, said the study's lead author, Dr. Poh Ting Lim, resident of KK Women & # 39; s Children & # 39; s Hospital. Singapore. The woman also had a shortness of breath, both when she moved and when she lay down, said Lim, who treated the woman.
According to the case report published online Sept. 4 in the BMJ Case Reports, the doctors performed a total hysterectomy of the abdomen, which also involved removing the woman's uterus and ovaries.
All in all, the fibroid was about the size of a big squash, about 65 inches (65 centimeters) wide, Lim said. He took all the abdominal and pelvic cavity of the woman, to the bottom of her sternum, said Lim.
Surgery to remove such a massive tumor was difficult, the report said. According to the report, after removal of fibroids, doctors had to perform plastic surgery to rebuild the abdominal wall of the woman, who had thinned after being distended.
Fibroids usually occur in women of childbearing age. About 70% of women develop these growths at the age of 50, Lim said. But giant fibroids, like the one described in this case, are extremely rare because women usually have the growths removed before they reach such large sizes, noted Lim.
The biggest fibroid ever reported was 140 pounds. (63.3 kg) and was removed from a post-mortem patient in 1888, according to the case report. Of the patients who survived the procedure, the largest fibroid ever collected was 100 pounds. (45.5 kg), says the report.
Fibroids usually grow slowly, averaging about 9% over a six-month period during the reproductive years, Lim said. Then, after menopause, tumors tend to shrink. (The woman in this case was menopausal.)
It is not known exactly how long the fibroid was in the woman's body. But growth has been likely for at least five years, as it takes time to reach a massive size, said Lim.
Interestingly, the woman had no intestinal problems, such as constipation, and she could eat well despite the size of the fibroid (large fibroids can cause abdominal discomfort if they exert pressure on the surrounding organs). The woman may have avoided these symptoms because of the slow growth of the fibroid, which allowed her body to adapt to changes, Lim said.
The woman might have neglected to see a doctor for her giant fibroid earlier, because she was afraid of surgery, Lim said.
When Lim saw the woman for the last time, two months after the surgery, the patient was in good health and her abdomen was healing well.
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