Impact of the Uterine Fibroids on the Feminine Infertility at the level of the Maternity of Sidi Bel Abbés (West Algeria)

Several epidemiological studies have demonstrated the relationship between the existence of fibroids and the occurrence of infertility; indeed fibroids have been reported in 25-30% of infertile women and are responsible for them alone to 2 to 3% of infertility cases when no other cause was found. The objective of this study was to investigate the probable association between the presence of a fibroid and the occurrence of infertility in the region of Sidi bel Abbes, west of Algeria. In order to determine the correlation between uterine fibroids and female infertility, we performed a retrospective study including 83 patients operated for fibroids in the Maternity Hospital of Sidi Bel Abbes during the period of May 2011-May 2012. The study showed that the most affected groups of women are the ones aged between 40 and 49 years old, 51.81 % of them were nulliparous and we found a predominance of patients with early age of menarche (77.11 %), 3.71 % of the women affected had a family history of fibroids. 49.16 % (29 cases) suffered from sterility, which 33.89 % were primary infertility and 15.25% secondary infertility. We also found that the association between fibroids and infertility concerns more nulliparous women whose infertility is primary. We also found an association with infertility and fibroids with age; the older the women become the more their fertility potential decreases and the more increased risk for them to suffer from fibroids. Concerning spontaneous abortions, we found that they were more frequent in women with at least one fibroid associated with secondary infertility. In our study, we found that 49.16% of the patients suffered from subfertility, so the association between fibroids and female infertility is not uncommon; it would be interesting to investigate the possible interactions between this disease and infertility and the various mechanisms by which uterine fibroids can cause infertility.