Fibroid

A fibroid, medically known as a leiomyoma or myoma, is a benign tumor that grows from the smooth muscle cells of the uterus. Fibroids are extremely common, occurring in up to 80 percent of women by age 50, though many cause no symptoms. On ultrasound, fibroids typically appear as well-defined, round, hypoechoic masses within the myometrium, often with a characteristic whorled or heterogeneous internal texture and posterior shadowing. They can be classified by location as submucosal (bulging into the uterine cavity), intramural (within the muscular wall), or subserosal (projecting from the outer surface). Fibroids can cause heavy menstrual bleeding, pelvic pain, pressure symptoms, and fertility problems, and ultrasound is the primary tool for detecting, measuring, and monitoring them.