Prevalence, risk factors and clinical profile of thyroid abnormalities: a prospective study among women with uterine leiomyoma

Keerthana. N *, C.I Sajeeth, Mable John

Grace College of Pharmacy, Palakkad, Kerala, India

ABSTRACT

Uterine leiomyoma and thyroid functions are crucially affected by estrogen among reproductive-age women. Even so, the association between the two diseases has rarely been studied. Therefore, this study aims to assess the prevalence of thyroid abnormality in women with uterine leiomyoma in Palakkad, Kerala. A case-control study was conducted for 6 months, including women of age >15 years who had uterine leiomyoma. The prevalence of thyroid abnormalities and distribution of various socio-demographic characteristics, risk factors and clinical profile of patients with uterine leiomyoma were studied. Thyroid abnormalities were seen in 41 of the 110 women with uterine leiomyoma (37%) and were most commonly detected in married women of reproductive age (73.2%). Elevated body mass index, prior abortion, tubal sterilization, age at menarche ≤ 13, parity ≤ 1, caesarean delivery, elevated blood pressure and genetics were all risk factors for uterine leiomyoma. However, none of these factors, except for history of previous abortion (p≤ 0.05) showed a significant difference in risk factors among the study groups. Most of the patients were presented with menstrual abnormalities (78%). Among the various symptoms found, abdominal swelling and pelvic pain were observed to be statistically significant among patients with thyroid abnormalities. Uterine leiomyoma is a common concern in women of reproductive age, causing menstrual abnormalities, pain and bladder disorders. Among the various co-morbidities, thyroid abnormalities are more common among women with uterine leiomyoma. However, there is no significant difference between the two groups regarding risk factors and symptoms.

Keywords:

Uterine leiomyoma, Fibroid, Thyroid abnormalities, Risk factors, Clinical profile.