The key difference between intramural and subserosal fibroids is that intramural fibroids occur in the wall of the uterus, beneath the endometrium, while subserosal fibroids occur outside of the uterus.
Uterine fibroids are muscular tumors that grow in the uterine wall. These growths are quite common, and they are not considered cancerous. Normally, it is estimated that 80% of women will have fibroids in their lifetime. Intramural and subserosal fibroids are two different types of fibroids.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What are Intramural Fibroids
3. What are Subserosal Fibroids
4. Similarities – Intramural and Subserosal Fibroids
5. Intramural vs. Subserosal Fibroids in Tabular Form
6. FAQ – Intramural and Subserosal Fibroids
7. Summary – Intramural vs. Subserosal Fibroids
What are Intramural Fibroids?
Intramural fibroids grow within the muscular uterine wall. Some women experience severe symptoms with this condition, such as pelvic pain, lower back pain, heavy or extended menstrual periods, and bleeding between menstrual periods. The risk factors for intramural fibroids are hormonal imbalance, genetic cause, reproductive factors, diet and lifestyle, including a diet high in red meat and low in fruits and vegetables, obesity, and lack of physical activity.
Intramural fibroids can be diagnosed through pelvic examination, X-ray, pelvic MRI scan, hysteroscopy, transvaginal ultrasound or ultrasonography, and endometrial biopsy. Furthermore, treatment options for intramural fibroids may include myomectomy, hysterectomy, uterine artery embolization (UAE), Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists to lower estrogen levels and trigger medical menopause.
What are Subserosal Fibroids?
Subserosal fibroids grow outside of the uterus. They are the most common type of uterine fibroids. Some subserosal fibroids can directly grow on the uterus, whereas other subserosal fibroids are pedunculated subserosal fibroids on a stalk. They usually don’t cause many issues with the reproductive system, like heavy menstrual bleeding. However, they can cause other symptoms, such as a feeling of being bloated or having heaviness in the abdomen, pelvic pain, lower back pain, constipation, or the need to urinate frequently. The risk factors for this condition are age (age 30 through menopause), family history, ethnicity (black people are affected more), levels of hormones like estrogen and progesterone, being overweight, diet (eating red meat has more risk), and childbirth (never having given birth appears to increase the risk).
Subserosal fibroids can be diagnosed through pelvic examination, ultrasound, MRI, X-ray, CT scan, hysterosalpingogram, and sonohysterogram. Furthermore, treatment options for subserosal fibroids are medications like contraceptives, NSAIDs, Oriahnn, surgeries like hysterectomy, myomectomy, uterine fibroid embolization (UFE), magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound, and ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation.
What are the Similarities Between Intramural and Subserosal Fibroids?
- Intramural and subserosal fibroids are two different types of fibroids.
- Both fibroids only occur in women.
- They can cause pelvic or lower back pain.
- Both fibroids can be diagnosed through pelvic examination and imaging tests.
- They can be treated through surgeries, diet, and lifestyle changes.
What is the Difference Between Intramural and Subserosal Fibroids?
Intramural fibroids occur in the wall of the uterus, beneath the endometrium, while subserosal fibroids occur outside of the uterus. Thus, this is the key difference between intramural and subserosal fibroids. Furthermore, intramural fibroids are comparatively a less common type, while subserosal fibroids are the most common type.
The infographic below presents the differences between intramural and subserosal fibroids in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
FAQ: Intramural and Subserosal Fibroids
Is subserosal fibroid removal necessary?
The necessity of removing a subserosal fibroid depends on factors such as symptoms, size, and impact on health.
Can I have a normal delivery with subserosal fibroid?
While most individuals with fibroids can undergo natural birth (vaginal delivery), the presence of fibroids elevates the risk of requiring a C-section.
What is the hardest fibroid to remove?
Generally, submucosal and large intramural fibroids can be more challenging to remove surgically. The difficulty of removing a fibroid depends on factors such as its size and location.
Summary – Intramural vs. Subserosal Fibroids
A uterine fibroid is a non-cancerous tumour that grows in and around the uterus. It is also known as a myoma. There are different types of fibroids, such as intramural fibroids, submucosal fibroids, and subserosal fibroids. Therefore, intramural and subserosal fibroids are two different types of fibroids. However, intramural fibroids grow within the muscular uterine wall, while subserosal fibroids grow on the outside of the uterus. So, this summarizes the difference between intramural and subserosal fibroids.
Reference:
1. Frothingham, Scott. “Intramural Fibroid: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment.” Healthline, Healthline Media.
2. “What Is a Subserosal Fibroid?” Responsum Health.
Image Courtesy:
1. “UTERINE FIBROID” By Michealucheobasi – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Fibroid locations” By Mikael Häggström From original by Anja Hirschelmann and Rudy Leon De Wilde – Own work. Adapted from “Plastic and reconstructive uterus operations by minimally invasive surgery? A review on myomectomy”. GMS Interdisciplinary Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery DGPW 2012 (1). (CC BY 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia