Rare 16-kg uterine fibroid from a 30-year-old woman removed; gynaecologist flags signs women often ignore
For Dr Laxmi Goel, a senior fertility expert and endoscopic surgeon in Delhi-NCR, helping women deal with uterine fibroids is common. However, recently, she came across a rare case. A 30-year-old woman with no urinary, bowel, or pressure-related symptoms, and regular menstrual cycles – but two spontaneous pregnancy losses in two years – ended up being diagnosed with and treated for a 16-kg giant uterine fibroid.
Fibroids – non-cancerous growths in the uterus – weighing over 10–15 kg are exceptionally rare, occurring in approximately 1 in 1,000 women with fibroids, according to the Journal of Medical Case Reports.
“Fibroids are very common, affecting 60–70% of women by age 50, but huge fibroids are extremely rare. Massive fibroids weighing 10 kg or more occur in far less than 1% of cases and usually develop only after many years of silent, unchecked growth, often due to missed screenings or lack of symptoms,” Dr Laxmi Goel, Director – Department of Fertility at Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, Faridabad, tells Health Shots in an interview.
Warning signs of fibroids
Fibroids that grow slowly and outward allow the body to adapt, masking warning signs. “Women often dismiss subtle changes like abdominal enlargement, fatigue and urinary pressure as weight gain or lifestyle issues such as stress and routine hormonal changes. This delays diagnosis until the condition becomes critical,” adds Dr Goel.
Her patient presented with a history of two spontaneous pregnancy losses or miscarriage over the last two years. Alongside this, she reported a progressive sensation of abdominal heaviness since 2023 and a sudden, significant increase in abdominal size over the past six months.
A massive fibroid measuring 30×26 cm was diagnosed through ultrasonography. Further assessment with MRI of the pelvis confirmed a giant subserosal uterine fibroid measuring approximately 30×29.7 cm, consistent with a benign leiomyoma and showing no signs of malignancy. These required surgical intervention, but with a focus on preserving her fertility, since giant fibroids of this size may often necessitate hysterectomy.
Early detection of fibroids
According to the doctor, the case underlines the importance of routine pelvic exams and ultrasounds to detect silent growth early, preventing life-threatening complications and high-risk surgeries later.
“Pelvic exams help identify menstrual irregularities, infections, and hormonal imbalances before they escalate into chronic or life-threatening problems. Regular check-ups create a baseline of reproductive health, making it easier to detect subtle changes over time. Most importantly, this practice shifts care from emergency treatment to prevention, saving lives, fertility, and long-term health,” explains Dr Goel.
Why are fibroids becoming so common in women?
Women today experience longer lifetime exposure to estrogen due to earlier menarche and delayed pregnancies, which fuels fibroid growth, the expert says, highlighting certain other factors.
- Rising obesity and sedentary lifestyles increase estrogen production from fat tissue, directly increasing fibroid risk.
- Chronic stress, poor sleep, and hormonal disruption affect the body’s endocrine balance, promoting abnormal uterine tissue growth.
- Increased use of ultra-processed foods, environmental endocrine disruptors, and exposure to plastics and pollutants may further aggravate hormonal imbalance.
(Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.)
