Overt hypothyroidism is associated with the presence of uterine leiomyoma: a retrospective analysis.
Authors: Ott J, Kurz C, Braun R, Promberger R, Seemann R, Vytiska-Binstorfer E, Walch K.
Journal: Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2014 Mar 13 [Epub ahead of print]
Study From: Medical University of Vienna, Austria
Problem: A possible correlation between uterine fibroids and thyroid disease was initially reported in 1989. More recent reports on this topic are scarce. The authors intended to investigate the possible association between uterine fibroids and thyroid function, including thyroid antibodies, in a population of infertile women.
Study: 215 infertile women who underwent reproductive surgery were examined with ultrasound for the presence of uterine fibroids. They also had blood tests to determine if they were hypothyroid (under-active thyroid).
Results: Uterine fibroids were found in 51 of the 215 women (24%). After multivariate analysis, hypothyroidism was found to increase the risk of having fibroids by three times. Also, larger fibroids were found in women with hypothyroidism than in those without overt hypothyroidism, (average of 7 cm in women with hypothyroid disease versus 3 cm in women without hypothyroid disease).
Authors’ Conclusions: Overt hypothyroidism, but not auto-antibodies against the thyroid gland, was associated with the presence of uterine fibroids in our study.
Dr. Parker’s Comments: Over the years, there have been many posts on the fibroid message boards about the relationship of fibroids and thyroid disease. Unfortunately, there have been very few studies that examined this relationship. While this study suggests there is a real relationship, it should be noted that this study only included a small group of women (51) and all of the women were infertile. Therefore, the results may not apply to the general population of women. In any case, these findings are interesting and the relationship deserves more study.