Uterine Fibroids in Spanish

What it means

Uterine fibroids are noncancerous (benign) tumors made of muscle cells and other tissues that grow in and around the wall of the uterus, or womb. They are the most common benign tumors in women of childbearing age, and they can grow as a single tumor or in clusters. Many women with fibroids have no symptoms; when symptoms occur, they may include heavy or painful periods, bleeding between periods, a feeling of fullness in the lower abdomen, frequent urination, pain during sex, and lower back pain. A health care provider may find fibroids during a pelvic exam or with imaging tests such as an ultrasound or MRI.

Spanish term: Fibromas uterinos
Gender and article: masculine plural: los fibromas uterinos (singular: el fibroma uterino)
Pronunciation: fee-BROH-mahs oo-teh-REE-nohs

Other Spanish terms	Where it is used	Note
Fibroides uterinos	General	Title of the MedlinePlus en español health topic, which treats it as interchangeable with "fibromas uterinos"; "fibroides del útero" and "fibromas del útero" are listed as other names.
Miomas uterinos	General	Title of the MedlinePlus en español medical encyclopedia article on the same condition; "mioma" alone is also listed as an alternative name.
Leiomioma	General	Listed among the alternative names in the MedlinePlus en español encyclopedia, alongside "fibromioma".

Spanish-language health materials in the United States use three words for the same growths: fibromas, fibroides and miomas. MedlinePlus en español titles its health topic "Fibroides uterinos" and its encyclopedia article "Miomas uterinos", and uses "fibromas uterinos" in the text, so a patient may hear any of them in one visit. All three are masculine: el fibroma, el fibroide, el mioma. These tumor names ending in -oma can look feminine to English speakers, but they take el.

In everyday dictionary use the two words are not identical: the Real Academia Española defines fibroma as a benign tumor of fibrous tissue and mioma as a tumor formed by muscle elements. Leiomioma, another name the encyclopedia lists, corresponds to the English "leiomyoma". The uterus is el útero; the encyclopedia also calls it la matriz.

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Patient	My periods have been very heavy and they last longer than they used to.	Mis menstruaciones han sido muy abundantes y duran más que antes.
Clinician	Do you have bleeding between periods or pain during your period?	¿Tiene sangrado entre períodos o dolor durante la menstruación?
Patient	I feel pressure in my lower belly and I need to urinate very often.	Siento presión en la parte baja del abdomen y tengo que orinar muy seguido.
Clinician	I am going to do a pelvic exam, and then I will order an ultrasound of your uterus.	Voy a hacerle un examen pélvico y después le voy a pedir un ultrasonido del útero.
Patient	My mother had fibroids. Could I have them too?	Mi mamá tuvo fibromas. ¿Puede ser que yo también los tenga?
Clinician	The ultrasound shows two fibroids in the wall of your uterus.	El ultrasonido muestra dos fibromas en la pared del útero.
Patient	Are fibroids and myomas the same thing? My report says "leiomyoma."	¿Los fibromas y los miomas son lo mismo? Mi informe dice "leiomioma".
Patient	I would like to get pregnant. What options do I have?	Quisiera quedar embarazada. ¿Qué opciones tengo?

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Uterine Fibroids
Spanish (Español)	Fibromas uterinos
Chinese (中文)	子宮肌瘤
Korean (한국어)	자궁근종
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	U xơ tử cung
Filipino (Tagalog)	Uterine fibroids
Portuguese (Português)	Miomas uterinos
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	เนื้องอกมดลูก
Japanese (日本語)	子宮筋腫

Where you'll see it

chartreferralmedical recordEOB

Related ICD-10-CM category

ICD-10-CM code: D25 → Leiomyoma of uterus

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: Reproductive health and pregnancy

All terms in this area: Reproductive health and pregnancy — Salud reproductiva y embarazo

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.