How is ultrasound diagnosis of uterine fibroids performed?

What is the ultrasound diagnosis of uterine fibroids? Uterine fibroids are a relatively common benign gynecological tumor, also known as uterine fibroids. There are generally no symptoms in the early stages of the disease and they are only occasionally discovered during pelvic examinations or ultrasound examinations. So, what is the ultrasound diagnosis of uterine fibroids? Let's learn about it together.

According to the location of uterine fibroids, they can be divided into intramural fibroids, subserosal fibroids, and submucosal fibroids. Different growth locations will display different ultrasound images, as follows:

Subserosal fibroids

The uterus is enlarged and morphologically abnormal, with the serosa protruding outward in a round or semicircular shape, showing weak or moderate echoes. Local pressure scanning and dynamic observation show that there is no separation between the tumor and the uterus. CDFI detection: There is a ring-shaped blood flow signal around the tumor and it extends to the tumor. Subserous myomas protruding into the broad ligaments on both sides of the uterus are called broad ligament myomas. They often appear as solid round tumors on one side of the uterus, with a large volume, only one pedicle connected to the uterus, and are easy to change; the color blood flow signal of the pedicle originates from the uterus, and its color blood flow signal surrounds the tumor.

Intramural fibroids

Most of them are hypoechoic, of varying sizes, with intact capsules, clear boundaries between the tumor and the normal myometrium of the uterine wall, and annular colored blood flow signals around them. When the fibroids are large, they can compress and push the uterine cavity, causing the echo of the endometrium to shift or deform.

Submucosal fibroids

The endometrium is deformed or defective, and low-echo nodules can be seen in the sub-endometrial myometrium protruding into the uterine cavity. When the fibroids completely protrude into the uterine cavity, the uterine cavity shows a solid mass, but there is a gap between the fibroids and the endometrium, showing a "uterine cavity separation sign". CDFI detection: There are ring-shaped or semi-ring-shaped blood flow signals around the tumor, and strip-shaped blood flow signals inside.

Myoma degeneration

Hyalinization, cystic change, and calcification are the most common. Hyalinization is usually an echo-free area with unclear edges and enhanced echoes in the back in large fibroids larger than 4 cm. Cystic change, on the other hand, appears as a circular echo-free area with clear boundaries. Myoma calcification appears as a light mass or arc-shaped light band with strong echoes, accompanied by acoustic shadows in the back, and is more common in postmenopausal uterine fibroids. Localized fatty degeneration of fibroids may appear as strong echoes but without acoustic shadows. Red degeneration of fibroids is related to pregnancy, and the sonogram shows liquefaction. Postmenopausal uterine fibroids grow rapidly, with uneven internal echoes and irregular boundaries. The possibility of sarcoma degeneration should be considered, which is rare.

Ultrasound examination is currently the most commonly used auxiliary diagnostic method. It can show the enlargement of the uterus, irregular shape, the number, location, size of fibroids, and whether the interior of the fibroids is uniform or liquefied, cystic, etc. Ultrasound examination is helpful in diagnosing uterine fibroids, providing a reference for distinguishing whether the fibroids have degenerated, and helping to distinguish them from ovarian tumors or other pelvic masses.