Intra-abdominal haemorrhage from uterine fibroids: a systematic review of the literature

BACKGROUND: Uterine leiomyomas are common benign tumours found in women of reproductive age that are rarely associated with intra-abdominal haemorrhage. The aetiology behind this relationship is poorly understood and the aforementioned association poorly recognized from a patient’s clinical presentation. Available information in the literature is limited to case reports. The aim of this systematic review is to document and highlight the occurrence of intra-abdominal haemorrhage from uterine fibroids, and determine associated morbidity and mortality. METHODS: A systematic review of Medline, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, and The Cochrane Library – CENTRAL was performed from the databases inception through to December 2018 for case report and series of patients who experienced intra-abdominal haemorrhage from uterine fibroids. Findings were presented according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. RESULTS: We identified 115 publications reporting on 125 original case reports. The documented intra-abdominal haemorrhage were commonly due to the rupture of superficial blood vessels over the surface of a fibroid, followed by rupture and avulsion of the fibroid involved. A clinical picture of sudden and profound hypovolemic shock with severe abdominal pain was often the presenting complaint, with a correct pre-operative diagnosis only made in 7 cases on computed tomography imaging. Hysterectomy and myomectomy were the most common surgery performed. Mortality was reported in 4 cases which were directly related to complications of uterine fibroids. CONCLUSION: Intra-abdominal haemorrhage secondary to uterine fibroids remained a rare phenomenon which is poorly recognized among clinicians. While this association is not representative of the population of interest, it highlights the pathophysiological spectrum of uterine fibroids and its relevance to emergency physicians, surgeons and gynaecologists during clinical practice.