title: Urinary retention and voiding dysfunction in women with uterine leiomyoma: a case series.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine urinary retention as an underreported complication of uterine leiomyoma. Reproductive-aged women with uterine leiomyoma often describe pelvic pressure and menorrhagia, however few complain of complete urinary retention.
  
  
  METHODS
  We dis-cuss the cases of 8 women who presented to our emergency room with acute urinary retention over a 4-year period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients had a mean age of 39 (range, 25-51) and median parity of 1 (range, 0-5). Seven of 8 patients (88%) had posterior-fundal leiomyomas. All patients underwent either myomectomy or hysterectomy with resolution of their urinary retention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Incarceration of the posterior or fundal leiomyoma beyond the pelvic brim can push the cervix against the pubic bone, resulting in compression of the bladder neck or urethra. This may explain the etiology of retention and/or voiding dysfunction in some cases. Urinary retention, as a result of leiomyoma, may be overlooked in the initial management of symptomatic patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Torrance, CA 90509, USA. tyazdany@obgyn.humc.edu
authors.forename: Tajnoos
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yazdany
authors.forename: Narender N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Bhatia
authors.forename: John N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Nguyen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D053202:Urinary Incontinence, Urge / Q000209:etiology; D016055:Urinary Retention / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000209:etiology; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery