Differences in the clinical phenotype of adenomyosis and leiomyomas: a retrospective, questionnaire-based study

To compare women undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy with adenomyosis and women with leiomyomas.

Retrospective and questionnaire-based study was conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Women’s Clinic, Tuebingen, Germany. The study sample comprised a total of 454 women who underwent hysterectomy for adenomyosis or leiomyomas and responded to the questionnaire; 52 (11.4 %) women with a histologic diagnosis of adenomyosis and 452 (88.6 %) women with a histologic diagnosis of leiomyomas.

Both groups of patients had enlarged uteri, but women with adenomyosis had a lower mean uterine weight as compared to women with leiomyomas (p < 0.001). Women with adenomyosis had significantly more pregnancies (p = 0.003), were more likely to have more than one pregnancy (p = 0.033) or more than one delivery (p = 0.025) as compared to women with leiomyomas. In addition, women with adenomyosis had a significantly higher surgical procedure score (p = 0.017), had more frequently a history of laparotomy (p = 0.042) and a history of Cesarean section as compared to women with leiomyomas only (p = 0.024). Significantly, more women with adenomyosis had pelvic pain or pressure as compared to women with leiomyomas (p = 0.045). We observed no differences between the two groups of patients regarding pelvic pain during the menstrual period, irregular menstrual periods, heavy bleeding, painful sexual intercourse and urination problems. Furthermore, we observed no differences in the therapeutic impact of the surgical procedure between the two patient groups.

Women with a histologic diagnosis of adenomyosis differ from women who have only leiomyomas at the time of hysterectomy.