MedicineNet.com
  MedicineNet home Health news and views Diseases and conditions Symptoms and signs Procedures and tests Medications Health and Living MedTerms medical dictionary  
Font Size
A
A
A


Benign Uterine Growths
(Growths Of The Womb)

Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel, Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
Previous Contributing Medical Author: Carolyn J. Crandall, MD, MS, FACP

What are uterine growths?

Uterine growths are tissue enlargements of the female womb (uterus). Uterine growths can be caused by either harmless or dangerous conditions. Growths are sometimes referred to medically as masses or tumors. An example of a harmless (benign or non-cancerous) growth, which does not pose a threat, is a polyp of the cervix. Some growths, such as uterine fibroids, are benign, but they can still cause some annoying problems, such as bleeding. Other dangerous growths of the uterus include cancerous (malignant) growths.

While the majority of uterine growths are benign, cancers of the uterus do occur. This article will discuss the benign conditions that cause uterine growths or masses. Benign growths, or non-cancerous, growths include uterine fibroids, adenomyosis, and uterine polyps. For information about cancer of the uterus, please see the Uterine Cancer article.

Anatomy

The uterus (or womb) is a hollow, pear-shaped organ that is located in a woman's lower abdomen between the bladder and the rectum. The narrow, lower portion of the uterus is the cervix; the broader, upper part is known as the corpus. The cervix forms the transition between the uterus and the vagina. The vagina, or birth canal, connects the uterus to the outside of the body.

Female Illustration - Uterine Growths



Next: Uterine fibroids »



Printer-Friendly Format  |  Email to a Friend


space Related health and medical articles From the Doctors at MedicineNet.com MedicineNet Doctors recommend space
space
MedicineNet Doctors Recommend
  • Hysterectomy - Learn about hysterectomy procedures and options available for women. There are many types of hysterectomy surgeries including a total, radical, laparoscopy assisted vaginal hysterectomy, supracervical, and oophorectomy. The type of hysterectomy procedure will depend upon the reason for the procedure. Source:MedicineNet
  • Pap Smear - The Pap smear, or Pap test is a screening test for cervical cancer. Source:MedicineNet
  • Questions To Ask Before Surgery - Surgery questions to ask prior to having a procedure are important. Your surgeon should be available to answer your surgery questions prior to the procedure. Source:MedicineNet
  • Read 17 more Uterine Growths related articles ...
Latest Medical News
space


Last Editorial Review: 4/16/2007





Topics Related to Benign Uterine Growths

Uterine Growths
RSS FeedSpecialty RSS       Add to My Yahoo! What is this?

Cancer and ExerciseCancer and Exercise
Resting to conserve energy may not be the best remedy for fatigue during radiation therapy. See more WebMD Videos »

Cancer

Get the latest treatment options.











Health categories:

News & Views | Diseases & Conditions | Symptoms & Signs | Procedures & Tests | Medications | Health & Living | Medical Dictionary

Popular health centers:

Allergies | Arthritis | Cancer | Diabetes | Digestion | Healthy Kids | Heart | Men's Health | Mental Health | Women's Health | More...

Publications:

ePublications (PDFs) | XML News via RSS | Audio Podcasts | Email Newsletters

MedicineNet.com:

About Us | Privacy Policy | Search Help | Site Map | WebMD® | Medscape® | eMedicine® | eMedicineHealth® | RxList®

HON Code We comply with the HONcode standard for health trust worthy information:
verify here.

©1996-2008 MedicineNet, Inc. All rights reserved. Notices and Legal Disclaimer.
MedicineNet does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information.