Correlation between shrinkage of uterine leiomyoma treated with buserelin acetate and histopathologic findings of biopsy specimen before treatment.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze histopathologic features related to myoma volume reduction after treatment with a GnRH agonist, buserelin acetate, in needle biopsy specimens obtained before treatment.

DESIGN

Prospective clinical study.

SETTING

University teaching hospital.

PATIENT(S): Twenty women with normal menstrual cycles and symptomatic uterine myomas.

INTERVENTION(S): Buserelin acetate was administered intranasally (900 micrograms/d) for at least 16 weeks; transcervical needle biopsy of the uterine myoma was done before this treatment.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): The relation between histopathologic features (degree of cellularity, hyaline change, and collagen content) and the percent decrease in the volume of the largest myoma at 16 weeks measured by magnetic resonance imaging.

RESULT(S): The correlation between the degree of hyaline change and the percent decrease in the myoma volume was significant, as was that with the proportion of collagenous tissue in the specimens.

CONCLUSION(S): We predicted myoma volume reduction after treatment with a GnRH agonist by histologic analysis of the uterine leiomyoma before treatment.