Uterine Fibroid in a 16-Year-Old Adolescent Managed with a Fertility-Sparing Approach: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abstract

Background: Uterine fibroids are the most common benign tumor of the uterus in adult women. However, it is exceedingly rare in adolescents.

Case: A 16-year-old girl presented with severe anemia and abnormal uterine bleeding. MRI of the pelvis demonstrated a 9-cm mass within the uterus concerning for leiomyoma or leiomyosarcoma. A fertility preserving myomectomy led to the final diagnosis of a benign uterine fibroid.

Summary and conclusion: Despite the rare incidence of leiomyomas in adolescents, it is imperative that it is included in the differential diagnosis when young women present with abnormal uterine bleeding. A less common diagnosis to consider is leiomyosarcoma; however, this is histologically diagnosed. Thus, a fertility-preserving myomectomy permits for a diagnostic opportunity to rule out a potential malignancy.

Keywords: Abnormal uterine bleeding; Adolescent; Fibroid; Laparotomy; Leiomyosarcoma; Myomectomy; Uterine leiomyoma.