[Medical treatment of symptomatic uterine leiomyomata in premenopausal woman]

Abstract

The most frequent symptom with leiomyoma is menometrorrhagia. However, it can be responsible of pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea or urinary and digestive compression when it is particularly voluminous. If no therapy is able to have them disappear, various drugs may reduce their related symptoms. Tranexamic acid, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and high dose of oestrogen may be useful in the management of acute hemorrhagic disorders. Progestin, such as lynestrenol induces small reduction in leiomyoma volume and moderate increase in hemoglobin level before surgery. Pregnane and nor-pregnane may improve menstrual bleeding in short or mild delays. The use of GnRH agonists can reduce menstrual bleeding with hemoglobin recovery. Add-back therapy using tibolone seems interesting since secondary effects encountered with GnRH agonists may be reduced. Levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system is proven to reduce increased menstrual bleeding and restore hemoglobin level. Aminoglutethimide and fadrozole have been underevaluated to conclude when letrozole seems as efficient as GnRH agonists to reduce leiomyoma volume and provide less hotflushes. Anastrozol is associated with reduction in leiomyomata volume, pain and menstrual bleeding. Mifepristone reduces the size of uterine leiomyomata, improves symptomatology, but could be associated with development of endometrial hyperplasia. SPRM evaluated in females have shown to improve leiomyoma related symptomatology. Ulipristal could be useful to reduce leiomyoma related symptoms in short terms.