BACKGROUND: When we find a huge uterine myoma-like tumor after menopause, we are hesitant whether to recommend surgery or not. MATERIAL/ METHODS: In order to treat huge uterine tumors after menopause, we surgically removed a total of 25 uterine tumors over 10 cm in diameter from 25 post-menopausal women, and examined these tumors microscopically. RESULTS: Clinical assessments of the 25 tumors before surgery indicated that 24 were myomas and one was a sarcoma, based on cytology-, sonography- and MR imaging-examinations. However, the postoperative histological results revealed 22 leiomyomas, one leiomyosarcoma, one endometrial stromal sarcoma and one endometrial carcinoma at Ic stage complicated by multiple leiomyomas. Overall, 12% of the tumors were malignant (3/25 cases) and 8.3% were false negative cases (2/24 cases; diagnosed as myoma uteri) among the cases of huge uterine tumors after CONCLUSIONS: When a huge uterine tumor after menopause is diagnosed clinically as myoma uteri, surgery should be recommended since there ia a significant chance of malignancy.
BACKGROUND: When we find a huge uterine myoma-like tumor after menopause, we are hesitant whether to recommend surgery or not. MATERIAL/ METHODS: In order to treat huge uterine tumors after menopause, we surgically removed a total of 25 uterine tumors over 10 cm in diameter from 25 post-menopausal women, and examined these tumors microscopically. RESULTS: Clinical assessments of the 25 tumors before surgery indicated that 24 were myomas and one was a sarcoma, based on cytology-, sonography- and MR imaging-examinations. However, the postoperative histological results revealed 22 leiomyomas, one leiomyosarcoma, one endometrial stromal sarcoma and one endometrial carcinoma at Ic stage complicated by multiple leiomyomas. Overall, 12% of the tumors were malignant (3/25 cases) and 8.3% were false negative cases (2/24 cases; diagnosed as myoma uteri) among the cases of huge uterine tumors after CONCLUSIONS: When a huge uterine tumor after menopause is diagnosed clinically as myoma uteri, surgery should be recommended since there ia a significant chance of malignancy.