Uterine fibroids are benign growths occurring in the uterus.
Although they can occur at any age, fibroids are most likely to occur in women aged 30-40 and are found in black women more often than white women. In black women, fibroids seem to occur at a younger age and grow more quickly. Also called leiomyomas or myomas, uterine fibroids develop from cells that make up the muscle of the uterus. Fibroids may vary in size, shape and location. Some fibroids have gotten large enough to completely fill the pelvis or abdomen.