Differences Between Adenomyosis and Uterine Fibroids

Adenomyosis and adenomyoma are very similar in the letter, but the nature of their diseases is entirely different. It is because of this subtle difference that many patients misunderstand the difference between them.

The difference between uterine fibroids and adenomyosis is mainly manifested in the following points.

1. Difference in symptoms.

Patients with adenomyosis will experience significant dysmenorrhea and changes in menstrual volume and period. Most patients with adenomyosis, regardless of the extent of the lesion, have increased menstruation and secondary progressive aggravation of dysmenorrhea.

Women with fibroids may experience increased menstrual flow, an enlarged abdomen, and pressure if the fibroids are too large. Most patients with uterine fibroids have no clinical symptoms. Only interstitial fibroids that project into the uterine cavity and submucosal fibroids can increase menstrual flow and prolonged periods. Most patients with uterine fibroids do not have symptoms of menstrual abdominal pain.

2. Different causes of pathogenesis.

Adenomyosis is caused by the invasion of endometrial glands and mesenchyme into the myometrium. Adenomyosis may be related to the surgery the patient has had, in addition to hereditary factors, viral infections, and other conditions.

Uterine fibroids are composed of smooth muscle and connective tissue. Patients with uterine fibroids may be caused by excessive estrogen secretion in women and should control hormone secretion.

3. Treatment differences.

The common point between these two conditions is that they can be treated with herbal medicine, chemical medicine, or surgery, depending on the development of the condition. But the specific use of drugs and surgical procedures varies from person to person and mainly takes into account the fertility needs of the patient.

If the patient is suffering from severe dysmenorrhea and anemia, they may consider a hysterectomy. If the uterus is not large, laparoscopic hysterectomy may also be considered within 12 weeks of pregnancy. Suppose the patient cannot wear an IUD nor remove the uterus. In that case, laparoscopic removal of adenomyoma can be performed. It can restore the uterus to its standard size and allowing recurrence to be controlled with postoperative medications.

Many women choose conservative treatment to preserve the uterus, such as the herbal medicine Fuyan Pill. The choice of herbal medicine for uterine adenomyosis is very traditional, and the side effects of herbal medicine on the body are minimal. Fuyan Pill can reduce the risk of surgical infection and avoid hysterectomy, which causes a substantial psychological burden. And the recurrence rate is lower after the cure and also increases the chances of natural conception.

4. Different medical imaging.

During the ultrasound examination, the uterus is seen to be uniformly enlarged in adenomyosis, and it is uniformly enlarged and spherical. The lesion tissue is not restricted from the myometrium. And as time gets more serious, ultrasound can show an enlarged uterus with thickened anterior and posterior walls and no apparent uterine tumor.

And the fibroids are restricted from the myometrium. In patients with uterine fibroids, the uterus often enlarges unevenly. Ultrasound can show fibroids' location, number, and nature, which can be distinguished by ultrasonography and pelvic magnetic resonance examination.

On microscopic examination, uterine fibroids are composed of spindle-shaped smooth muscle cells and unequal amounts of fibrous connective tissue arranged in a swirling pattern. In contrast, adenomyosis is characterized microscopically by ectopic endometrial glands and interstitium in an island-like distribution within the myometrium.

It is the difference between uterine fibroids and adenomyosis. Regardless of which condition the patient belongs to, it is recommended to go to a hospital to confirm the diagnosis before determining how to treat it. It will cause the least harm to the patient's body and only worsen the condition if it is not actively treated. The patient will then suffer more, and the treatment period will grow!