title: Venous thromboembolism as a complication of uterine fibroids: a retrospective descriptive study.
abstract: This study describes cases of fibroids with venous thromboembolism (VTE) managed at UHWI between the years 1999-2004. We examined records to find patients with fibroids and VTE diagnosed before or after surgery. We found 438 women with VTE and 72 of these (16.4%) with fibroids. A total of 1,979 patients had fibroids during the period; cases were therefore 3.63% of fibroids. Cases were younger, median age 44 years than the total cohort: the median age was 57 and the mean age was 55.43 (SD 19.87) p = 0.000 about 9.5 years older than cases. Age over 50 years was less common in cases 27% vs 52% p = 0.0001 as were other risk factors for VTE such as cancer 4.9 vs 14% p = 0.03; diabetes 8.6 vs 25.2% p = 0.004 and cardiac disease 8.6% vs 26.6% p = 0.002 . However, thrombocytosis was more frequent, 23% vs 9% p = 0.008. Other risk factors were not significantly different. A total of 21 cases (29.1%) had surgery for fibroids; 15 (71.4%) hysterectomy, and six (28.5%) myomectomy. Most cases 67/72 (93%) had VTE without surgery. Of the five cases with VTE after surgery for fibroids, none had prophylactic heparin. Of the cases, 15 died--23% of women with VTE at PM and 0.8% of those with fibroids.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Pathology and Internal Medicine, University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston, Jamaica. horace.fletcher@uwimona.edu.jm
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fletcher
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wharfe
authors.forename: N P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gordon-Strachan
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pedican
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brooks
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D054556:Venous Thromboembolism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants