What is the difference between uterine fibroids and adenomyosis?

What is the difference between uterine fibroids and adenomyosis?

1 The components of the two tumors are different. Adenomyosis is the presence of endometrial glands and stroma in the myometrium, while fibroids are tumor-like proliferation of myofibroblasts. Uterine fibroids are abnormal proliferation of smooth muscle. Uterine fibroids are generally painless, while adenomyosis is the pain caused by the growth of the endometrium into the myometrium.

2. The difference in the age of onset of the two. Uterine fibroids are more common in women of childbearing age; adenomyosis mostly occurs in parturients and is related to damage to the basal layer of the endometrium caused by multiple pregnancies, childbirth, artificial abortion, etc.

3. Differences in symptoms. Uterine fibroids also cause lower abdominal masses, which can be large or small, and can be multiple fibroids. There is also increased vaginal discharge and compression symptoms of organs around the uterus, accompanied by lower abdominal pain, back pain, and worsening during menstruation. Gynecological examination of adenomyosis shows that the uterus is uniformly enlarged, rarely exceeding the size of a 3-month pregnant uterus, or there are localized nodules, hard and tender, and the tenderness is worse during menstruation, and there is a history of secondary dysmenorrhea.

For asymptomatic patients, it is not easy to distinguish between uterine fibroids and adenomyosis. B-ultrasound or color Doppler ultrasound examinations are helpful for diagnosis, but sometimes the two can coexist. The treatment of the two is also very different, but both need to be diagnosed first and then choose drug treatment or surgical treatment, which can be determined according to the specific situation of the female patient.