The thymus gland in children consists of two structural departments: the cervical and thoracic, and it is located in the anterior mediastinum. It is necessary to immediately clarify that this gland predominates mainly in childhood, for which it received the characteristic name "childhood gland", in adult organisms in most cases the neck pocket is absent. A very relevant question arises, and what functions does the thymus gland perform in children?
Thymus
The main task of this body is to regulate the differentiation of lymphocytes, that is, it directly transforms the hematopoietic stem cells into T-lymphocytes. Biological preparations were obtained from thymus iron tissue extracts that significantly stimulate cellular immunity reactions and enhance antibody production, which leads to an increase in the number of T-lymphocytes in the blood.
Causes of pathology
However, it is fair to note that in a number of clinical cases in infancy, pathologies associated with this particular organ are diagnosed, in particular, an enlargement of the thymus gland in children (thymomegaly). What provokes this pathological process? Quite often, such an anomaly becomes a consequence (complication) of the disease, but there is also a genetic factor. The thymus gland in newborns progresses as a result of abnormal pregnancy of the mother, late conception, nephropathy, infectious diseases of the mother.
The thymus gland in children is diagnosed mainly by clinical means, that is, its pathologies are reliably detected during x-ray, immunological and cytological studies. Such examinations are carried out after the discovery of a number of characteristic symptoms.
Symptoms of the disease
So, the appearance of a neck pocket is often accompanied by the unstable weight of the baby, that is, he is either rapidly gaining weight or losing it quickly. In addition, the child may show a violation of the heart rhythm, venous mesh on the skin, blueness of the skin, sweating and frequent spitting up.
Such children have weakened immunity and therefore more often than others suffer from viral and respiratory diseases, and also constantly need productive prevention and seasonal recovery.
Productive treatment
However, first of all, the thymus gland in children requires timely treatment, which should be prescribed exclusively by an experienced specialist, based on the degree of disease progression and the general condition of the young patient. To begin with, children are recommended a hypoallergenic diet and strictly limited vaccination, which is also adjusted by the leading pediatrician. Productive treatment can be either conservative or operable, but the latter case is appropriate only when drug intervention did not produce tangible results. In addition, it should be understood that the removal of the thymus gland in newborns can significantly disrupt the formation of immunity, as well as suppress the natural growth processes, which is extremely undesirable.
The nutrition of children with a similar problem should be balanced, and also contain a large amount of vitamin C. In addition, it is advisable to take licorice to stimulate the adrenal cortex, and also in case of relapse, glucocorticoids (up to 5 days) and adaptogens are recommended. The child stays all the time of treatment at the medical examination.
Symptoms of the disease are not always pronounced, but at the slightest “hint” of an enlarged thymus, the pediatrician prescribes an immediate examination, and then, judging by the results, an alternative treatment.