Fibroid in pregnancy: characteristics, complications, and management

Fibroid in pregnancy is common in clinical obstetric practice. The topic is becoming more relevant in contemporary obstetrics due to the demographic shift towards delayed childbearing, the rising rate of obesity, and many pregnancies occurring after the treatment of fibroids. However, there are conflicting reports in the literature on many so-called fibroid complications in pregnancy, and there are inadequate data on the optimum management strategy. An evidence base is lacking on the pregnancy outcome of many conventional and newer treatment modalities of fibroids. This review addresses the characteristics and behaviour of fibroids during pregnancy, their incidence and demography, diagnosis, the complications that can arise during pregnancy and their antenatal management, the labour pattern, mode of delivery and the postpartum course, with critical appraisal of the literature together with certain special situations such as pregnancy after various types of myomectomy and uterine arterial embolisation.