A myoma is a type of

tumor A neoplasm () is a type of abnormal and excessive growth of tissue. The process that occurs to form or produce a neoplasm is called neoplasia. The growth of a neoplasm is uncoordinated with that of the normal surrounding tissue, and persists ...

that involves

muscle cell A muscle cell, also known as a myocyte, is a mature contractile Cell (biology), cell in the muscle of an animal. In humans and other vertebrates there are three types: skeletal muscle, skeletal, smooth muscle, smooth, and Cardiac muscle, cardiac ...

s. There are two main types of myoma: *

Leiomyoma A leiomyoma, also known as a fibroid, is a benign smooth muscle tumor that very rarely becomes cancer (0.1%). They can occur in any organ, but the most common forms occur in the uterus, small bowel, and the esophagus. Polycythemia may occur due ...

s which occur in

smooth muscle Smooth muscle is one of the three major types of vertebrate muscle tissue, the others being skeletal and cardiac muscle. It can also be found in invertebrates and is controlled by the autonomic nervous system. It is non- striated, so-called bec ...

. They most commonly occur as

uterine fibroid Uterine fibroids, also known as uterine leiomyomas, fibromyoma or fibroids, are benign smooth muscle tumors of the uterus, part of the female reproductive system. Most people with fibroids have no symptoms while others may have painful or h ...

s, but may also form in other locations. * Rhabdomyomas which occur in

striated muscle Striated muscle tissue is a muscle tissue that features repeating functional units called sarcomeres. Under the microscope, sarcomeres are visible along muscle fibers, giving a striated appearance to the tissue. The two types of striated muscle a ...

. They are rare tumors. So-called adult rhabdomyoma has been diagnosed mostly in men aged >40 years, whereas fetal rhabdomyoma occurs between birth and early childhood (<3 years). They very rarely become malignant. Whether or not angiomyomas are a type of leiomyoma or a separate entity is disputed as of 2014. Myomas are benign tumors of the uterus that can affect the fertility of a woman depending mainly on three factors: # Size (cut off value 4-5 cm) # Number # Location (they can be intramural, subserous or submucous). Submucous ones are worst from a fertility point of view, while subserous are less dangerous. Some of the most common symptoms are: abundant menstrual bleeding, longer menstrual periods, pelvic pressure, constipation, a need to urinate continuously.

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Types of neoplasia {{oncology-stub