Impact of different hormone replacement therapy regimens on the size of myoma uteri in postmenopausal period: tibolone versus transdermal hormonal replacement system.

Objectives: To assess the effect of different hormone replacement therapy regimens on myoma uteri in postmenopausal period.

Methods: Totally 46 patients with 60 myomas attending to Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Akdeniz University School of Medicine between May 2000 and March 2001 because of postmenopausal symptoms and having myoma uteri were included in this study. These patients were randomized for tibolone and transdermal hormonal replacement therapy system. The patients who were taking hormonal replacement therapy, discontinued the treatments and lost for follow-up were excluded from the study. Impact of the treatments on the size of myoma uteri was evaluated 6 months after starting the therapy. Size of myomas were evaluated by transvaginal sonography before and 6 months after onset of the treatment.

Results: Mean age was 57.3 (50-70) and mean gravida 3.6 (1-6) for all the patients. Although, increase in the size of myoma uteri was frequent in transdermal HRT, it was not statistically significant.

Conclusion: There are no statistical significant differences between tibolone and transdermal hormonal replacement therapy regimens in respect to increase in the size of myoma uteri.