LEVONORGESTREL INTRAUTERINE DEVICE VERSUS MEDROXYPROGESTERONE ACETATE IN TREATMENT OF SYMPTOMATIC UTERINE FIBROIDS

Background: Medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) and levonorgestrel intrauterine device (LNGIUD) are two drugs used to treat abnormal uterine bleeding in women with myoma. We organized this study to compare the effectiveness of these two treatments. Methods: This was a retrospective one-year-long cohort study of 95 women with uterine leimyoma. Fifty three women who had received LNG-IUD formed the LNG-IUD group while 42 women who received regular intramuscular injections of 150 mg MPA at every 3 months for oneyear period made up the MPA group. Both groups were compared in aspect of demographic, clinical and biochemical characteristics. Results: At the end of one year, the LNG-IUD group had significantly smaller fibroid size, lower visual analogus scale score for pelvic pain, for dysmenorrhea and dyspareunia than the MPA group. There were a significant reduction in the number of patients with menorrhagia and a significant increase in serum hemoglobine levels both in LNG-IUD and MPA groups at the end of the one-year long study period. Conclusions: LNG-IUD appears as a good choice for the reduction in fibroid size and associated pelvic pain.