OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics of vaginal and paraurethral leiomyomas. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients with pathologically confirmed paraurethral and vaginal wall leiomyomas from January 2006 to August 2007 were reviewed. Patients with no preoperative MRI of the pelvis were excluded. RESULTS: Five patients were identified; all had a firm, smooth, non-tender, non-fluctuant mass. MRI showed a well-circumscribed shape, a homogeneous signal that was hypointense or isointense to muscle on T1- and hyperintense or isointense to muscle on T2-weighted images, and uniform enhancement. In all cases, MRI excluded urethral diverticulae, and pathology showed leiomyoma, of which one had atypical features. CONCLUSION: Paraurethral and vaginal wall leiomyomas can be identified before surgery with a reasonable degree of certainty, based on their clinical and MRI characteristics.
OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics of vaginal and paraurethral leiomyomas. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients with pathologically confirmed paraurethral and vaginal wall leiomyomas from January 2006 to August 2007 were reviewed. Patients with no preoperative MRI of the pelvis were excluded. RESULTS: Five patients were identified; all had a firm, smooth, non-tender, non-fluctuant mass. MRI showed a well-circumscribed shape, a homogeneous signal that was hypointense or isointense to muscle on T1- and hyperintense or isointense to muscle on T2-weighted images, and uniform enhancement. In all cases, MRI excluded urethral diverticulae, and pathology showed leiomyoma, of which one had atypical features. CONCLUSION: Paraurethral and vaginal wall leiomyomas can be identified before surgery with a reasonable degree of certainty, based on their clinical and MRI characteristics.