What is leiomyoma?

➢ Benign tumors that arise from the smooth muscle cells in the myometrium ➢ Most common benign tumor in females, affecting 30% to 50% of women of reproductive age, and are considerably more frequent in black women. ➢ Associated with several different recurrent chromosomal abnormalities. ➢ Estrogens and possibly oral contraceptives stimulate the growth of leiomyomas; conversely, these tumors shrink postmenopausally