Outcome of patients with uterine fibroids after 3-month ulipristal acetate therapy

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the proportion and the characteristics of patients who did or did not respond after 3 months of ulipristal acetate (UPA) therapy.

Study design: In this retrospective cohort study conducted in the University Hospital of Bordeaux (France) and University Medical Center Ljubljana (Slovenia), symptomatic non-menopausal patients with fibroids that qualified for surgery were pretreated by 3 months of oral UPA 5 mg/day. Clinical success was defined by normalization of the bleeding score, and/or regression of pelvic pain, and/or abdominal distension. Imaging success was defined by reduction in fibroid volume ≥ 25%.

Results: The clinical and imaging success rates were 54/66 (82%) and 39/66 (59%) respectively. The absence of previous pregnancy (p = 0.004) and the size of the dominant fibroid ≥ 80 mm (p = 0.004) were independent factors associated with clinical failure. Age <35 years (p = 0.02) was the only independent factor associated with imaging failure.

Conclusion: Young women developing fibroids and/or women with large fibroids may be resistant to ulipristal acetate therapy.

Keywords: Fibroids; Imaging; Menstrual bleeding; Outcome; Ulipristal acetate.