Where can fibroids grow?

Fibroids are benign noncancerous tumors of the uterus.  They can grow inside the uterine cavity, which is called a submucosal fibroid.  They can grow on the outer lining of the uterine cavity called a subserosal fibroid or they can grow in the muscle wall of the uterus called an intramural fibroid.  There are often times where the fibroids can grow in the ligaments surrounding the uterus as well as they can be on a stalk coming off the serosal edge of the uterus, which is called a pedunculated fibroid.  Submucosal fibroids are the most common culprits of heavy menstrual bleeding due to the fact that they grow in the uterine cavity.  Intramural fibroids are the most common fibroids that cause pain with periods due to the fact that when a patient is on her menstrual cycle her uterine muscle contracts to help expel the menstrual blood flow out the cervix and into the vagina, and because their is a fibroid growing in the muscle wall, this can cause a significant amount of pain.  Patients with subserosal fibroids often times are unaware that they have fibroids and the only way to diagnose this is through a gynecologic exam and possibly an ultrasound of the pelvis.

Fibroids are benign tumors of the uterus. They grow in the 3 distinct portions of the uterus. Those that are found centrally near the cavity of the uterus and along the uterine lining are called submucosal. Those that grow in the muscular part of the uterus are called intramural, and those that grow near the edge of the uterus under the outer surface are called subserosal.