A 39 year old woman from Mumbai, with no severe symptoms, was in for a rude shock when she discovered that her enlarged abdomen was not excess fat, but a result of the parasitic fibroids that were developing in her intestines. A surgery conducted by doctors Dr Anshumala gynecologist and Dr Jaydeep Palep general surgeon in Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai, helped her get rid of the pain by extracting the fibroid that weighed 5.5 kilogram. This is the largest fibroid to have been reported across the country till date.
Uterine leiomyomata also known as uterine fibroids is a common gynaecological disorder in which benign smooth muscle tumours start growing in the reproductive age group. It occurs in 20-30 % of the women older than 35 years, and the incidence is increasingly rising due to lifestyle and delayed reproductive decisions. On the other hand Parasitic or Ectopic fibroids are generally not diagnosed easily as they tend to grow outside the uterus walls. While parasitic leiomyoma can cause pain and discomfort in abdomen; they can be present without any symptoms as well, and could be detected as an incidental finding.
Dr. Anshumala Shukla, Consultant - Gynaecology Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgeon at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital said, “The patient came to us with heaviness in her abdomen. We also detected a hard mass in the abdominal area, however none of the scans present with her commented about the abnormal origin of fibroids or their sizes. After careful examination the team planned for a laparoscopic removal of the fibroid and uterus, however the abnormal blood supply form intestine required an open surgery.This abnormal site of growth of fibroid maybe consequent to her previous myomectomy and some small parts of fibroid left behind may growand cause parasitic fibroids. She tolerated the surgery well and her stay in the hospital remained uneventful”.
Surgery for parasitic fibroids situated in the intestines can be difficult in case of the Bowel and Mesentery involvement and requires vigilant measures to ensure the important blood vessels are not cut during the surgery. When parasitic tumour attains a large size, it might outgrow its new blood supply and undergo further pathological changes known as degeneration. Hence it is advisable for women post 35 years of age to not ignore any symptoms and also undergo ultrasound sonographies at least once every year.
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