Most of the time, a patient with bothersome symptoms such as heavy bleeding or pain will be prescribed an ultrasound of the abdomen/pelvis. The ultrasound may show the cause to be fibroids.

While ultrasound may be the starting point for diagnostic work up in a patient with fibroids, MRI is generally more accurate in determining the number, size and location of the fibroids as well as the overall volume of the uterus at the time.

For patients who can’t have an MRI, a CT scan may be ordered.