Epidemiology

The true incidence and prevalence of uterine fibroids in the general female population are unknown because the condition is frequently asymptomatic and therefore not identified.[5] Incidence increases with age during the reproductive years such that cases occur in 20% to 50% of women older than 30 years.[6] Approximately 25% of women of reproductive age with uterine fibroids have symptoms severe enough to require treatment.[5] By extrapolation of findings from a prospective histopathology study of 100 consecutive total hysterectomy specimens, the prevalence of uterine fibroids in the general female population may be as high as 80% and is unchanged by menopausal status.[3] From a cohort of 116,678 premenopausal nurses formed in 1989 (Nurses' Health Study II), a resulting population of 95,061 premenopausal women with intact uteri was identified and completed a health questionnaire in 1993. New cases of uterine fibroids diagnosed by pelvic examination, ultrasound, or hysterectomy during a 4-year interval ending in May of 1993 were identified. The crude incidence of uterine fibroids in this study was about 1% per year. The incidence was shown to be significantly increased with advancing age, black race (threefold), increased body mass index, history of infertility, and current alcohol consumption.[7] In another study, the estimated cumulative incidence by age 50 was >80% for black women and approaching 70% for white women.[8] Uterine fibroids represent the most common solid tumors of the female pelvis and are the leading cause for hysterectomy.[5][9]

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