The key difference between uterine fibroids and endometriosis is that uterine fibroids are tumors that grow from the uterine wall, while endometriosis is where the endometrium grows outside the uterus.
Uterine fibroids and endometriosis are two different conditions that affect the uterus. Both these conditions affect women. The uterus is the hollow or pear-shaped organ in the pelvis of women. It is the place where a fetus usually develops and grows. It is also called the womb.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What are Uterine Fibroids
3. What is Endometriosis
4. Similarities – Uterine Fibroids and Endometriosis
5. Uterine Fibroids vs Endometriosis in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Uterine Fibroids vs Endometriosis
What are Uterine Fibroids?
Uterine fibroids are the tumours that grow in or on the uterus. These are typically not cancerous in nature. The symptoms of this condition may include heavy bleeding between menstruation, menstrual clots, menstruation that lasts longer than usual, pain during sex, pain in the pelvis or lower back, menstrual cramps, fullness in the lower abdomen, and difficulty getting pregnant. The aetiology of uterine fibroids is still not clear. However, scientists believe genetics may play a role. This is because women are more likely to get uterine fibroids if they have a relative who had them previously. Moreover, hormones such as estrogen and progesterone may also stimulate the growth of fibroids.
Uterine fibroids can be diagnosed through personal and family medical history, pelvic examination, and imaging tests such as ultrasound and pelvic MRI scan. Furthermore, uterine fibroids can be treated through prescribed gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists or GnRH antagonists; birth control pills; intrauterine devices (IUD), which reduce menstrual bleeding; and pain noninvasive procedures, such as myolysis procedures, cryomyolysis procedures, uterine fibroid embolization, forced ultrasound surgery, and invasive surgeries like myomectomy and hysterectomy.
What is Endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus in women. The symptoms of endometriosis may include difficulty getting pregnant, heavy menstrual bleeding between periods, pain during sex, painful periods, painful bowel movements, and pain in the pelvic and lower back. The exact aetiology of this condition is not known. But it is believed to be caused by genetics, hormone imbalances, retrograde menstruation, toxins, periods starting at an early age, menopause at an older age, short menstrual cycles, and a low body mass index (BMI).
Moreover, endometriosis can be diagnosed through personal and family medical history, pelvic examination, transvaginal ultrasound or abdominal ultrasound, and laparoscopy. Furthermore, treatment options for endometriosis may include supplemental hormones that reduce the growth of out-of-place endometrial tissue, hormonal contraceptives such as birth control pills, patches, and vaginal rings, GnRH agonists and antagonists that block the production of estrogen and stop menstruation, medicines like danazol that stops menstruation to reduce endometriosis symptoms, minimally invasive surgery like laparoscopy and invasive surgery like hysterectomy.
What are the Similarities Between Uterine Fibroids and Endometriosis?
- Uterine fibroids and endometriosis are two different conditions that affect the uterus.
- The exact aetiology of both conditions is not known.
- Both conditions have overlapping symptoms such as bleeding between periods, heavy menstruation bleeding, painful menstruation, pain in the pelvis and lower back, pain during sex, and difficulty getting pregnant.
- They can be triggered by genetics and hormone imbalances.
- Both conditions can be diagnosed through pelvic examination and ultrasound.
- They can be treated through hormonal contraceptives, GnRH agonists and antagonists, and surgery.
What is the Difference Between Uterine Fibroids and Endometriosis?
Uterine fibroids are tumors that grow from the uterine wall, while endometriosis is where the endometrium grows outside the uterus. Thus, this is the key difference between uterine fibroids and endometriosis. Furthermore, uterine fibroids are caused by genetics and imbalances of hormones such as estrogen and progesterone. On the other hand, endometriosis is caused by genetics, hormones imbalances, retrograde menstruation, toxins, starting the period at an early age, starting menopause at an older age, short menstrual cycles, and a low body mass index (BMI).
The infographic below presents the differences between uterine fibroids and endometriosis in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Uterine Fibroids vs Endometriosis
The uterus is a hollow-shaped muscular organ in the pelvis between the bladder and rectum in women. Normally, ovaries produce eggs that travel through the fallopian tubes. After fertilization, they implant in the lining of the uterus. Therefore, the main function of the uterus is to nourish the developing fetus. Uterine fibroids and endometriosis are two different conditions that affect the uterus of women. Uterine fibroids are the tumours that grow in or on the uterus, which are typically benign, while endometriosis is where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus in women. So, this summarizes the difference between uterine fibroids and endometriosis.
Reference:
1. “Uterine Fibroids.” Mayo Clinic.
2. “Endometriosis: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment.” Cleveland Clinic.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Uterine Fibroids” By BruceBlaus – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Blausen 0349 Endometriosis” By Blausen.com staff (2014).”Medical gallery of Blausen Medical 2014″. WikiJournal of Medicine 1 (2). DOI:10.15347/wjm/2014.010. ISSN 2002-4436. – Own work (CC BY 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia