Does Big Mean Evil? Giant, but Benign Uterine Leiomyoma: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abstract

Uterine leiomyoma is the most prevalent benign type of gynecological tumor. It affects more than 80% of women worldwide and, within this group, more than 50% may be asymptomatic. However, large fibroid volumes may be associated with symptoms of extrinsic compression, and most of the cases do not present atypical cells. We present the case of a 49-year-old woman who underwent a total abdominal hysterectomy of a 13.5-kg uterine leiomyoma with no malignancies at histopathology and review the literature about giant uterine leiomyomas and their clinical repercussion. We concluded that large volumes do not always pose a threat regarding malignancy; however, future molecular studies are needed to investigate giant uterine fibroids.