The efficacy of medical management of leiomyoma-associated heavy menstrual bleeding: a mini review.

ABSTRACT

Leiomyomas, or fibroids, are benign uterine tumors that are commonly associated with abnormal uterine bleeding-L particularly heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB). Treatment options include expectant, medical, image-guided, and surgical. Medical management of HMB is the preferred first-line treatment and includes nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, contraceptive hormones, tranexamic acid, levonorgestrel intrauterine system, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonists and antagonists, selective progesterone receptor modulators, selective estrogen receptor modulators, and aromatase inhibitors. Although alternatives such as vitamins and supplements have been suggested, there is currently a lack of robust evidence of their efficacy. Many of these therapies treat the symptoms rather than the underlying pathology. Progestin-based therapies are the most commonly utilized, although research supporting their effectiveness in the treatment of HMB is modest. Although GnRH agonists and antagonists, which are federal drug administration-approved therapies, provide substantial improvement in abnormal uterine bleeding-L with HMB, the effects typically last for the duration of therapy. Patients may also face financial barriers to GnRH analog therapy. Future studies are required to delineate the nonhormonal treatment options and the long-term management of leiomyoma-associated HMB.