Fibroids: diagnosis and management.

University of Glasgow, Glasgow Royal Infirmary Campus, Glasgow G31 2ER, UK University of Birmingham, Birmingham Women’s Hospital, Birmingham, UK The University of Melbourne and the Royal Women’s Hospital, Royal Women’s Hospital, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia Correspondence to: M A Lumsden Maryann.Lumsden@glasgow. ac.uk Cite this as: BMJ 2015;351:h4887 doi: 10.1136/bmj.h4887 Uterine leiomyomas (fibroids) are the most common benign tumours in women. They may be single or multiple and their size varies from a few millimetres to 30 cm or more. By age 50 nearly 70% of white women and more than 80% of black women have had at least one fibroid. Box 1 lists the several risk factors for fibroids. Symptomatic fibroids are often managed surgically, and this confers a considerable burden on healthcare costs. This review aims to update non­specialists on the investigation and management of fibroids. Gaps in current knowledge are highlighted.