Seedling fibroid characterization using optical coherence tomography

Uterine leiomyomas, or fibroids, are the most common benign tumors in women. Despite this, the patient and healthcare burdens are immense. Symptoms include heavy and irregular bleeding, anemia, and impacts on fertility. Treatment options are limited, and fibroids are typically treated with hysterectomy. Current imaging modalities used for diagnosis and surgical planning cannot resolve smaller, or seedling, fibroids. If fibroids remain after surgery, they can continue to grow and require additional interventions. In this work, we characterize human seedling fibroids using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Statistical testing reveals significant differences between fibroid and normal specimens in OCT-based texture, statistical, and frequency-based features, as well as in collagen fiber architecture quantification. With its micron-resolution and near-real-time imaging speed, OCT has the potential to elucidate the microstructural characteristics of seedling fibroids, aiding in diagnosis and surgical planning.