Pedunculated fibroids are non-cancerous uterine growths attached to the uterine wall by a peduncle, a stalk-like growth. Those that grow inside the uterus are known as pedunculated submucosal fibroids, and those that develop outside the uterus are known as subserous pedunculated fibroids.

Pedunculated fibroids can become quite large. An article in the East African Medical Journal last year reported that a 37-year-old woman presented with significant, increasing abdominal swelling. Surgeons removed a 1.5 kg pedunculated fibroid that was almost 16 cm in length.

One of the most startling things about this patient’s condition was that she had no symptoms other than the abdominal swelling. Other women who develop pedunculated fibroids have a much different experience.

In some women, submucosal pedunculated fibroids extend into the vaginal canal, which causes distress during sexual intercourse. Two patients treated by the American University of Beirut Medical Center were found to have such fibroids. A full 12 cm of one patient’s submucosal fibroid had grown into the vaginal canal, while the rest of the growth remained in her uterus.

Pedunculated fibroids can be painful, particularly if the peduncle becomes twisted. The risk of the peduncle twisting increases as the fibroid grows larger.

Women with these fibroids also often experience pain in the uterus and significant uterine cramping. The pain can often extent to other organs as well.

Some women with pedunculated submucosal fibroids experience light to moderate bleeding throughout their menstrual cycles. Those women who experience continuous bleeding usually see an increase in bleeding during the time of their regular period.

If a pedunculated fibroid becomes twisted, the patient may need emergency surgery. The pain of a twisted peduncle can be so excruciating that the patient requests any possible procedure to alleviate it.

A twisted peduncle can also create a blockage in the veins that deliver blood and nutrients to the growth. When the blood and nutrients are cut off, the fibroid begins to weaken. As the fibroid deteriorates, the pain increases greatly, as does the risk of infection.

When a peduncle is determined to be 2cm or more in width, a process called Uterine Artery Embolization is indicated. This procedure blocks the blood supply to the growths so that they begin to deteriorate and eventually die. This procedure has been found to be more successful with subserousal fibroids than with any other kind of fibroid.

Doctors at the BretonneauHospital in France have found that up to 10% of patients who undergo Uterine Artery Embolization for pedunculated fibroids encounter regrowth of their fibroids after 2 years. For this reason, they recommend that the procedure be repeated after 2 years.

Another procedure often used to treat pedunculated fibroids is a myomectomy. In this procedure, the surgeon removes the fibroid and repairs the uterus. Myomectomy is not always 100% successful. In one case reported by the University of South Dakota, an unsuccessful myomectomy was performed, leading to an emergency hysterectomy for the patient.

Because the success rate for myomectomies is not 100%, women are usually asked to sign a waiver that specifies a hysterectomy if the surgery is not successful. Some women have gone in for one procedure and awakened after having two.

Sometimes pedunculated fibroids can be shrunk to the point where they no longer bother the patient by using only natural remedies. For patients who do not want to have surgery, this can be an attractive option. To learn more about natural treatments for fibroids, visit http://www.fibroidsetc.com/pedunculated-fibroids/