based on the inclusion criteria. To maintain a 2:1 ratio between the sizes
of the control group/experimental groups, data from 449 randomly
selected patients in the control groups were excluded; this resulted in
obstetric-outcome data being included from 51 patients in the fibroid
group and 102 patients in the control group (Fig. 1). Data from 11–14-
week, 22–24-week, and 28–32-week ultrasonography fibroid examinations
were available for 31 patients (Fig. 2).
Higher maternal age (P b 0.001), higher pre-pregnancy body mass
index (P = 0.01), and greater use of assisted reproductive technology
(P = 0.04) were recorded among patients in the fibroid group. No
other significant differences were observed between the two patient
groups (Table 1).
The multivariate logistic regression analysis controlled for age, prepregnancy
bodymass index, and method of conception as confounding
variables, and found no associations between patients having fibroids at
11–14-week ultrasonography and any of the maternal outcomes
included in the model (Table 2).
No differenceswere observed in the obstetric outcomes between the
two patient groups (Table 3).
Maternal and obstetric outcomes were also compared between
patients with fibroids below5 cm in diameter and patientswith fibroids
of at least 5 cm in diameter at study enrollment. No differenceswere recorded
in any of the maternal and obstetric outcome measures
(Table 4). Additionally, no significant differences in maternal and
obstetric outcomes were observed when patients within the fibroid
group were subdivided based on fibroid number (1 or ≥2) (Table 5),
location (fundus uteri, anterior wall, lateral wall, or posterior wall)
(Table 6), and type (intramural or subserosal) (Table 7).
When changes in fibroid size across the three ultrasonography
examinations were analyzed, a significant increase in fibroid size was
observed not only between the 11–14-week and 22–24-week
examinations, but also the 11–14-week and the 28–32-week examinationswhen
only fibroids below5 cmin diameterwere considered.However,
no significant differences were observed when comparing the
22–24-week and 28–32 week evaluations among fibroids below 5 cm
in diameter. Additionally, no significant differenceswere recorded for fibroids
of at least 5 cm in diameter and no significant differences were
observed among all fibroids