Majallah-i Dānishgāh-i ̒Ulūm-i Pizishkī-i Bābul (Oct 2009)
Risk Factors of Uterine Leiomyoma in Women of Reproductive Ages
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Uterine leiomyoma is the most common benign pelvic tumors with an unknown etiology. There are contradictory results about risk factors of uterine leiomyoma which affiliated to genetic or hormonal theories, in different studies. The objective of this study is assessment of risk factors of uterine leiomyoma in patients who referred for pelvic sonography in comparision to control group.METHODS: A case-control study was performed on 990 patients referring to Rasht Alzahra hospital in 2007 who undergoing sonography evaluation for abnormal bleeding or pelvic pain and for other reasons unrelated to abnormal bleeding. Patients were similar as parity and age. Patients based on sonography and uterine fibroma observation was divided into case and control groups. Considerable variables were demographic data, familial history leiomyoma, reproductive history and menstrual characteristics, body mass index, methods for contraception. Data were gathered by forms and face interview and then compared and assessed.FINDINGS: Of 990 patients, 482 subjects were cases and 508 subjects were controls. Premature menarche was reported in 69 cases (14.4%) and 48 control (9.4%), respectively. There were positive relationship between age of menarche 8-10 years old and increased risk of uterine leiomyoma (OR= 66%, 95% CI: 0.13-1.82), familial history of uterine leiomyoma (OR= 2.64, 95% CI=1.79-3.90), body mass index greater than 25 (OR=6.05, 95% CI: 4.18-8.75, menstrual characteristics and risk of uterine leiomyoma. There was an inverse relationship between use of oral contraceptive pills for pregnancy prevention and risk of uterine leiomyoma that was a protective effect. (OR=0.4 95% CI: 0.23-0.72)CONCLUSION: These results showed that uterine leiomyoma has a correlation with age of menarche, obesity, familial history of fibroma and inverse relationship with use of OCP. Prevention of overweight, use of oral contraceptive pills especially in high risk patients can be considered as the ways for prevention of uterine leiomyoma.