The Rate of Recurrence After Conservative Surgery for Uterine Adenomyomas

ABSTRACT Our objective was to evaluate the rate of recurrence after conservative surgery for adenomyomas. The design was a prospective, observational study at a tertiary care center of a university medical school. Twenty-eight women were conservatively operated for adenomyomas between 1985 and 1990 and were followed for 18-88 months with yearly clinical examination and pelvic sonography. Sonography identified 6 recurrences: 2 years after surgery in 3 patients, 3 years after surgery in 1, and 4 years later in 2 patients. The largest recurrent tumor reached 3 cm in diameter, and only in 1 case did the original symptoms reappear. In this small series, the rate of recurrence of adenomyomas after conservative surgery does not appear to constitute a real obstacle to the use of conservative surgery for adenomyomas in patients not wanting to lose their uterus. (J GYNECOL SURG 10:217, 1994)