RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To define the pathologic changes underlying the mechanism of shrinkage of uterine leimyoma in patients treated with goserelin. METHODS: Retrospective evaluation of pathologic changes seen in leiomyoma removed by hysterectomy or myomectomy in treated and untreated patients was done. Microscopic review of all cases was performed without knowledge of the therapeutic history. Each leiomyoma was assessed for hyalinization, hydropic change, lymphocytic infiltrate, nuclear atypia, and hypercellularity. RESULTS: Hyaline degeneration and hydropic changes were found significantly more frequent in patient treated with goserelin (P<0.05). The differences between treated and untreated groups in lymphocytic infiltrate, nuclear atypia, and hypercellularity were not statistically significant. The ultrastructural features of variable numbers of the treated muscle cells showed large vacuole, marked swelling of mitochondria, and compound lysosomal structures presumed to have been formed from damaged intracellular organelles. CONCLUSION: It appears that the rapid decrease in size of the leiomyoma treated with goserein occurs as the smooth muscle tissue undergoes hydropic change and hyaline degeneration. It seems that other cellular degenerative changes may be involved in the mechanism shrinkage of uterine leiomyoma.