Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCan Calcified Fibroids Cause Problems?What Causes Calcified Fibroids?Who Is at Risk for Calcified Fibroids?DiagnosisHow Calcified Fibroids Are TreatedPrognosisCoping
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Can Calcified Fibroids Cause Problems?
What Causes Calcified Fibroids?
Who Is at Risk for Calcified Fibroids?
Diagnosis
How Calcified Fibroids Are Treated
Prognosis
Coping
Calcifiedfibroids(also known as calcifiedleiomyomasandmyomas) are non-cancerous tumors in theuterus(womb) that have hardened due to deposits of calcium in the mass of smooth muscles and fibrous connective tissues.
Uterine fibroids can become calcified as they age andstart to degenerate. The calcification may occur along the edges of the tumor or involve the entire tumor.
Though calcification is not inherently harmful, it can aggravate uterine fibroid symptoms, causing pain, cramping, irregular periods, and loss of bladder control. Treatment options range from prescription medications to hysterectomy.
This article explains the symptoms, causes, and complications of calcified fibroids. It also describes how fibroids are diagnosed, treated, and managed.
Verywell / Jessica Olah
Calcified Fibroids Symptoms
Uterine fibroids don’t always cause symptoms, and the same is true for calcified fibroids. The types and severity of symptoms can vary based on the size and location of the tumor. For example, a large fibroid that compresses the bladder or colon can cause urination or bowel problems.
Common symptoms of calcified fibroids include:
Some calcified fibroids can lead to potentially serious complications if left untreated. This is true whether you have symptoms or not.
The complications may arise from the compression of adjacent urinary, genital, or digestive organs and/or the blockage of passageways between organs. The fibroids can also cause pregnancy complications.
Possible complications of fibroids include:
Can Fibroids Cause Cancer?Fibroids are not cancerous and do not increase the risk of uterine cancer. With that said, a type of cancer calleduterine sarcomais sometimes misdiagnosed as a uterine fibroid as they share many of the same characteristics, including the risk of calcification.
Can Fibroids Cause Cancer?
Fibroids are not cancerous and do not increase the risk of uterine cancer. With that said, a type of cancer calleduterine sarcomais sometimes misdiagnosed as a uterine fibroid as they share many of the same characteristics, including the risk of calcification.
Fibroids can become calcified as they age and start to degenerate. As the fibroid gradually loses volume, blood circulation to the mass starts to decrease, allowing minerals like calcium to accumulate in vessels and leach into surrounding tissues.
Calcification takes place in the end stages of a fibroid’s life cycle.
Calcification is sometimes a pathological process (meaning one associated with diseases, such asatherosclerosisandkidney stones). However, in the context of fibroids, it is regarded as a process of aging that may or may cause any problems or symptoms.
Though the cause of fibroids is unclear, evidence suggests that the hormonesestrogen and progesteronestimulate the growth of these noncancerous tumors. Fibroids rarely appear before the start ofmenses(menstruation)and often subside aftermenopause.
There are certain factors that can increase the risk of fibroids, including:
Can Diet Cause Calcified Fibroids?Despite what some people think, high amounts of calcium in your diet do not cause calcification. Calcification in soft tissues can occur no matter how much or little calcium you have in your blood.
Can Diet Cause Calcified Fibroids?
Despite what some people think, high amounts of calcium in your diet do not cause calcification. Calcification in soft tissues can occur no matter how much or little calcium you have in your blood.
Unless you have symptoms, you may not know that you have fibroids (much less calcified fibroids). A fibroid is often discovered during aroutine pelvic examand confirmed with imaging tests such as:
Calcified fibroids may be treated with hormonal therapy, surgery, or a combination of options.
Hormone Therapy
Options include:
While potentially beneficial, GnRH can increase the risk ofosteoporosis(porous bones) or interfere with your ability to get pregnant.
Surgery
Calcified fibroids can be removed usingmyomectomyorhysterectomy, two surgical procedures. A myomectomy is the removal of the uterine fibroid, while a hysterectomy is the partial or complete removal of the uterus.
The choice between the two is based on the severity of symptoms, the risk of complications, and whether or not you want to have children.
While the definitive treatment of fibroids is a complete hysterectomy, it may not be appropriate if you wish to retain your fertility. On the other hand, a hysterectomy may be necessary if you have certain complications, such as uterine prolapse.
Myomectomies are usually done withlaparoscopic surgery, using tiny incisions and a specialized scope and tools to extract the tumor. Hysterectomies can be either performed laparoscopically or with traditionalopen surgery.
Non-Surgical Procedures
There are two non-surgical methods of treating fibroids that may be effective in the earlier stages and less effective if extensive calcification has occurred:
Fibroids are common, and research is ongoing into the causes and best treatments. If you have fibroids and do not have symptoms, your doctor may decide to monitor you over time.
If your fibroids have calcified, you may require surgery or another treatment method. While some fibroid treatments and fibroids themselves can cause infertility, most calcification of fibroids occurs after menopause, when a person is no longer fertile.
Living with calcified fibroids can be difficult if they are causing symptoms. Having chronic pain can affect your mental state and interfere with your daily life. Talk to your doctor about any concerns.
If you are worried about your fertility, know that there is much focus on surgical alternatives to treating fibroids. There are more options now than there ever have been.
While coping is not easy, know that doctors and scientists are taking note of the significant effects fibroids can have on a person’s quality of life.
Summary
Calcified fibroids are noncancerous uterine tumors that have degenerated. Fibroids usually calcify at the end of their life cycle. This typically occurs after menopause. They may cause pain and other symptoms and can be treated with drugs, nonsurgical procedures, or surgery.
14 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Khan AT, Shehmar M, Gupta JK.Uterine fibroids: current perspectives.Int J Womens Health. 2014;6:95-114. doi:10.2147/IJWH.S51083Pal S, Mondal S, Mondal PK, Raychaudhuri G, Pradhan R, Banerjee S.Severely calcified leiomyoma of broad ligament in a postmenopausal woman: Report of a rare case.J Midlife Health. 2016;7(3):147-149. doi:10.4103/0976-7800.191015American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Uterine fibroids.Lacharite-Roberge AS, Raza F.Case series of seven women with uterine fibroids associated with venous thromboembolism and chronic thromboembolic disease.Pulm Circ.2019;9(1):2045894018803873. doi:10.1177/2045894018803873Aniebue UU, Nwankwo TO.Complete utero vaginal prolapse in a woman with prolapsed submucous fibroid.Ann Med Health Sci Res.2015;5(1):83–85. doi:10.4103/2141-9248.149795Jenabi E, Zagami SE.The association between uterine leiomyoma and placenta abruption: a meta-analysis.J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med.2017;30(22):2742-2746. doi:10.1080/14767058.2016.1261401MedlinePlus.Uterine fibroids.Kim JH, Kim HJ, Kim SH, et al.Sonographic and clinical characteristics of uterine sarcoma initially misdiagnosed as uterine fibroid in women in the late reproductive age.J Menopausal Med.2019;25(3):164–171. doi:10.6118/jmm.19007Williams ARW.Uterine fibroids - what’s new?.F1000Res. 2017;6:2109. doi:10.12688/f1000research.12172.1Wise LA, Laughlin-Tomasso SK.Epidemiology of uterine fibroids – from menarche to menopause.Clin Obstet Gynecol.2016;59(1):2–24. doi:10.1097/GRF.0000000000000164Kim S, Han K, Choi SY, et al.Alcohol consumption and the risk of new-onset uterine leiomyomas: a nationwide population-based study in 2.5 million Korean women aged 20 to 39 years.Am J Obstet Gynecol.2023;229(1):45.e1-45.e18. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2023.03.041Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health.Uterine fibroids.Harvard Medical School.Calcium beyond the bones.National Institute Child Health and Human Development.How are uterine fibroids diagnosed?.Additional ReadingNational Institute of Child Health and Human Development.Uterine fibroids.
14 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Khan AT, Shehmar M, Gupta JK.Uterine fibroids: current perspectives.Int J Womens Health. 2014;6:95-114. doi:10.2147/IJWH.S51083Pal S, Mondal S, Mondal PK, Raychaudhuri G, Pradhan R, Banerjee S.Severely calcified leiomyoma of broad ligament in a postmenopausal woman: Report of a rare case.J Midlife Health. 2016;7(3):147-149. doi:10.4103/0976-7800.191015American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Uterine fibroids.Lacharite-Roberge AS, Raza F.Case series of seven women with uterine fibroids associated with venous thromboembolism and chronic thromboembolic disease.Pulm Circ.2019;9(1):2045894018803873. doi:10.1177/2045894018803873Aniebue UU, Nwankwo TO.Complete utero vaginal prolapse in a woman with prolapsed submucous fibroid.Ann Med Health Sci Res.2015;5(1):83–85. doi:10.4103/2141-9248.149795Jenabi E, Zagami SE.The association between uterine leiomyoma and placenta abruption: a meta-analysis.J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med.2017;30(22):2742-2746. doi:10.1080/14767058.2016.1261401MedlinePlus.Uterine fibroids.Kim JH, Kim HJ, Kim SH, et al.Sonographic and clinical characteristics of uterine sarcoma initially misdiagnosed as uterine fibroid in women in the late reproductive age.J Menopausal Med.2019;25(3):164–171. doi:10.6118/jmm.19007Williams ARW.Uterine fibroids - what’s new?.F1000Res. 2017;6:2109. doi:10.12688/f1000research.12172.1Wise LA, Laughlin-Tomasso SK.Epidemiology of uterine fibroids – from menarche to menopause.Clin Obstet Gynecol.2016;59(1):2–24. doi:10.1097/GRF.0000000000000164Kim S, Han K, Choi SY, et al.Alcohol consumption and the risk of new-onset uterine leiomyomas: a nationwide population-based study in 2.5 million Korean women aged 20 to 39 years.Am J Obstet Gynecol.2023;229(1):45.e1-45.e18. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2023.03.041Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health.Uterine fibroids.Harvard Medical School.Calcium beyond the bones.National Institute Child Health and Human Development.How are uterine fibroids diagnosed?.Additional ReadingNational Institute of Child Health and Human Development.Uterine fibroids.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Khan AT, Shehmar M, Gupta JK.Uterine fibroids: current perspectives.Int J Womens Health. 2014;6:95-114. doi:10.2147/IJWH.S51083Pal S, Mondal S, Mondal PK, Raychaudhuri G, Pradhan R, Banerjee S.Severely calcified leiomyoma of broad ligament in a postmenopausal woman: Report of a rare case.J Midlife Health. 2016;7(3):147-149. doi:10.4103/0976-7800.191015American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Uterine fibroids.Lacharite-Roberge AS, Raza F.Case series of seven women with uterine fibroids associated with venous thromboembolism and chronic thromboembolic disease.Pulm Circ.2019;9(1):2045894018803873. doi:10.1177/2045894018803873Aniebue UU, Nwankwo TO.Complete utero vaginal prolapse in a woman with prolapsed submucous fibroid.Ann Med Health Sci Res.2015;5(1):83–85. doi:10.4103/2141-9248.149795Jenabi E, Zagami SE.The association between uterine leiomyoma and placenta abruption: a meta-analysis.J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med.2017;30(22):2742-2746. doi:10.1080/14767058.2016.1261401MedlinePlus.Uterine fibroids.Kim JH, Kim HJ, Kim SH, et al.Sonographic and clinical characteristics of uterine sarcoma initially misdiagnosed as uterine fibroid in women in the late reproductive age.J Menopausal Med.2019;25(3):164–171. doi:10.6118/jmm.19007Williams ARW.Uterine fibroids - what’s new?.F1000Res. 2017;6:2109. doi:10.12688/f1000research.12172.1Wise LA, Laughlin-Tomasso SK.Epidemiology of uterine fibroids – from menarche to menopause.Clin Obstet Gynecol.2016;59(1):2–24. doi:10.1097/GRF.0000000000000164Kim S, Han K, Choi SY, et al.Alcohol consumption and the risk of new-onset uterine leiomyomas: a nationwide population-based study in 2.5 million Korean women aged 20 to 39 years.Am J Obstet Gynecol.2023;229(1):45.e1-45.e18. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2023.03.041Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health.Uterine fibroids.Harvard Medical School.Calcium beyond the bones.National Institute Child Health and Human Development.How are uterine fibroids diagnosed?.
Khan AT, Shehmar M, Gupta JK.Uterine fibroids: current perspectives.Int J Womens Health. 2014;6:95-114. doi:10.2147/IJWH.S51083
Pal S, Mondal S, Mondal PK, Raychaudhuri G, Pradhan R, Banerjee S.Severely calcified leiomyoma of broad ligament in a postmenopausal woman: Report of a rare case.J Midlife Health. 2016;7(3):147-149. doi:10.4103/0976-7800.191015
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Uterine fibroids.
Lacharite-Roberge AS, Raza F.Case series of seven women with uterine fibroids associated with venous thromboembolism and chronic thromboembolic disease.Pulm Circ.2019;9(1):2045894018803873. doi:10.1177/2045894018803873
Aniebue UU, Nwankwo TO.Complete utero vaginal prolapse in a woman with prolapsed submucous fibroid.Ann Med Health Sci Res.2015;5(1):83–85. doi:10.4103/2141-9248.149795
Jenabi E, Zagami SE.The association between uterine leiomyoma and placenta abruption: a meta-analysis.J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med.2017;30(22):2742-2746. doi:10.1080/14767058.2016.1261401
MedlinePlus.Uterine fibroids.
Kim JH, Kim HJ, Kim SH, et al.Sonographic and clinical characteristics of uterine sarcoma initially misdiagnosed as uterine fibroid in women in the late reproductive age.J Menopausal Med.2019;25(3):164–171. doi:10.6118/jmm.19007
Williams ARW.Uterine fibroids - what’s new?.F1000Res. 2017;6:2109. doi:10.12688/f1000research.12172.1
Wise LA, Laughlin-Tomasso SK.Epidemiology of uterine fibroids – from menarche to menopause.Clin Obstet Gynecol.2016;59(1):2–24. doi:10.1097/GRF.0000000000000164
Kim S, Han K, Choi SY, et al.Alcohol consumption and the risk of new-onset uterine leiomyomas: a nationwide population-based study in 2.5 million Korean women aged 20 to 39 years.Am J Obstet Gynecol.2023;229(1):45.e1-45.e18. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2023.03.041
Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health.Uterine fibroids.
Harvard Medical School.Calcium beyond the bones.
National Institute Child Health and Human Development.How are uterine fibroids diagnosed?.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.Uterine fibroids.
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