Reporting of uterine fibroids on ultrasound examinations: an illustrated report template focused on surgical planning

Abstract

Uterine fibroids are the most common benign gynecologic tumors in women of reproductive age, and ultrasound is the first-line imaging modality for their diagnosis and characterization. The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics developed a system for describing and classifying uterine fibroids uniformly and consistently. An accurate description of fibroids in the ultrasound report is essential for planning surgical treatment and preventing complications. In this article, we review the ultrasound findings of fibroids, detailing the main points to be reported for preoperative evaluation. In addition, we propose a structured, illustrated report template to describe fibroids, based on the critical points for surgical planning.

Currently Available Treatment Modalities for Uterine Fibroids

“…There are no standardized guidelines about the criteria for a laparoscopic approach to myomectomy, and such guidelines have been quite variable, based on the number, size and position of fibroids. The evaluation of fibroids via ultrasound (and, if it is needed, via magnetic resonance imaging) is of significance for correct pre- and intraoperative surgical planning to ensure complete excision during the procedure, due to the inability to directly palpate the fibroids during laparoscopy [ 77 ]. Some authors suggest that the laparoscopic approach should be avoided in cases involving more than four fibroids in different sites of the uterus requiring numerous incisions, in cases of large fibroids (larger than 10–12 cm) or if fibroids are located in an intraligamental location [ 67 ].…”