Pregnant women should be careful about the red changes of uterine fibroids

Uterine fibroids are the most common benign tumors of the female reproductive system. They are composed of smooth muscle and connective tissue and are common in women aged 30 to 50 years old. They are relatively rare in women under 20 years old.

At present, the incidence of uterine fibroids is showing a trend of younger age, and it is not uncommon for women to have uterine fibroids during pregnancy. If uterine fibroids increase rapidly during pregnancy, they may become congested, softened, or degenerate. In addition to transparent degeneration, degeneration may also show red changes. Red changes in uterine fibroids are more common during pregnancy or the puerperium. It is a special type of necrosis that mainly occurs in intramural fibroids in the body of the uterus. Its manifestations are: the volume of the fibroids increases rapidly, blood vessels rupture, and bleeding diffuses in the tissue; the cross-section of the fibroids is dark red, like half-cooked roast beef, soft in texture, and the vortex structure disappears. Microscopic examination shows that the cytoplasm is light red, the nucleus disappears, and there is hemolysis.

The mechanism of red degeneration of uterine fibroids is unclear. It may be related to the degeneration of small blood vessels in the fibroids, which triggers thrombosis and hemolysis, and the infiltration of hemoglobin into the fibroids. Most scholars believe that endocrine disorders are the triggering cause of the disease, especially the local estrogen, progesterone, and estrogen and progesterone receptor content. Such patients may have severe abdominal pain accompanied by nausea, vomiting, fever, and increased white blood cell count. Examination reveals that the fibroids are rapidly enlarging and tender. When diagnosis is difficult, ultrasound can be used to assist diagnosis.