How does kidney angiomyolipoma develop? Is it life threatening? This condition involves the involvement in the pathological process of a layer of fat, muscle tissue, as well as the epithelium of the kidney. To a greater extent, a benign tumor consists of a fatty layer.
As a rule, angiomyolipoma spreads specifically to the kidneys. The disease can affect a person of any age, but in older people it is much more common. The risk group includes people from 40 to 60 years old. It should be noted that cases of the disease are more often recorded in women. How serious is the disease and how is kidney angiomyolipoma eliminated? The treatment and danger of the disease will be described in this article. With timely started therapy, the pathology can be completely eliminated.
Types of disease
Angiomyolipoma is a benign tumor in the kidney. The disease also received another name - "renal hamartoma." The neoplasm belongs to the category of mesenchymal pathologies that affect soft tissues.
Two forms of pathology are distinguished: the primary sporadic species and the genetic disease.
In the first case, the tumor affects the body by itself, without genetic factors, and in the second case, heredity plays the leading role.
There is also a completely separate disease of Bourneville-Pringle, or tuberous sclerosis. With it, kidney damage is noted, but other symptoms are also noted.
In the case of tumor localization in the left or right kidney, a unilateral lesion is diagnosed. If pathology is diagnosed in both kidneys, then doctors are talking about a two-way view. The unilateral form develops in 75% of cases.
In addition, angiomyolipoma can be typical and atypical.
In a typical form, the neoplasm to a greater extent contains muscle tissue or fat, which is much more common in medical practice.
With an atypical form of adipose tissue, no. This makes therapy difficult. After all, adipose tissue is removed with minimal consequences. Also, this form makes diagnosis difficult. In this case, the probability of mistakenly distinguishing between a benign neoplasm and a malignant tumor is high.
What is affected by the disease?
As a rule, with this disease, the cerebral and cortical layer of the kidney is involved in the pathological process. The tumor contributes to the formation of a capsule, which is fenced off from healthy tissues.
What is fraught with such a disease as angiomyolipoma of the kidney (left and right kidney)? It is dangerous because it sometimes develops according to a special scenario. This happens with a parallel effect of negative factors, for example, improperly selected therapy or the presence of additional pathologies in the kidneys.
The neoplasm can grow into the inferior vena cava, the lymph nodes located nearby, or the perinephric signet. In some cases, blood vessels are also affected, which can burst and provoke the occurrence of hemorrhages.
Many are interested in why angiomyolipoma is dangerous? Often diagnosed vascular twisting. This creates spirals, tearing of which can cause intense internal bleeding, which threatens the patient's life. Blood enters the abdominal cavity and spills into it. The vascular walls that contain muscle tissue become thick and round, since muscle tissue is completely or partially degenerated into connective tissue. As a result, perforations are noted that threaten aneurysm and other dangerous complications.
Causes of the disease
The development of the disease can be due to completely different reasons.
A number of provoking factors include:
- Pregnancy. The appearance of a tumor depends on the hormonal background. As you know, a woman during gestation increases the level of estrogen and progesterone, which can serve as an impetus for the development of the disease.
- Genetic basis. As mentioned above, this pathology can occur in the presence of Bourneville-Pringle disease. This disease is genetic. Scientists have discovered genes that can be inherited.
- A variety of pathological processes in the kidneys, which, along with other factors, may well provoke the appearance of a tumor. Therapy in this case involves the elimination of all concomitant diseases.
- The manifestation of other neoplasms. For example, angiofibroma develops. This pathology is quite common. The disease described in the article begins to develop under its influence.
Symptomatology
How does kidney angiomyolipoma behave? What is the danger of this disease? With timely treatment, the disease can be completely eliminated. But the insidiousness of the disease lies in the fact that in the early stages, the symptoms can be worn out. Manifestations become apparent with the growth of the tumor.
A number of symptoms should include:
- A feeling of heaviness in the region of the left or right kidney, as well as the back. Unpleasant sensations can be noted in the abdomen and lower back. The pains may be pulling, aching, or dull. They are more intense when cornering and other movements. This is due to local hemorrhages.
- Blood pressure jumps. They can occur for no apparent reason and often enough.
- An admixture of blood in the urine.
If the tumor becomes large, then it can be detected by palpation.
Consequences of the disease
If the therapy was not carried out in a timely manner, then consequences may arise that threaten the patient's life. First of all, with rupture of blood vessels and the presence of bleeding, peritonitis can occur. With extensive hemorrhage in the abdomen, there is a risk of death.
What is the risk of kidney angiomyolipoma? Is it life-threatening if it gets large? In this case, the tumor can exert pressure on neighboring organs, preventing them from fully functioning. For example, with a lesion of the right kidney, the appendix and even the liver are compressed. The neoplasm can rupture, which also poses a threat to life.
Another major complication is necrosis or death. In this case, the kidneys just stop working.
Do not forget that a benign neoplasm can degenerate into a malignant tumor.
Diagnostics
Kidney angiomyolipoma (causes, symptoms, the treatment of which is described in this article) needs timely diagnosis. For effective therapy, a competent examination should be carried out.
First of all, an ultrasound examination is recommended, which will help to identify the tumor. In some cases, it is advisable to conduct magnetic resonance imaging.
The general analysis of blood and urine has a high degree of effectiveness. It is able to display the state of the urinary system.
A biopsy method is also used. To clarify the nature of the tumor from the kidney, fluid is taken for examination by surgery or puncture. This method makes it possible to diagnose the presence of oncology.
Drug use
There is evidence of the high effectiveness of some drugs that belong to the group of inhibitors. After a course lasting a year, in some cases, the neoplasm can be reduced in size by half.
If a very rapid increase in angiomyolipoma is noted, then they resort to the operational method.
As for the treatment by folk methods, it often does not give any results.
Operational methods
Is kidney angiomyolipoma operated on? Is it life threatening if it requires surgical intervention? In some cases, it is a threat and requires urgent removal.
Based on the results of the diagnostic procedures, the specialist develops an individual therapy plan, which necessarily takes into account such important points as the stage at which the tumor develops, its size and location.
In accordance with modern standards in the field of oncology, a tumor with a diameter of more than 4 cm is eliminated by a wait-and-see technique. This method is based on periodic monitoring of the patient's condition. The patient is shown to conduct ultrasound and x-ray diagnostics once a year.
A tumor larger than 4 cm requires radical treatment.
In addition to exceeding the threshold size, an indication for surgery is:
- severe clinic of the disease with the progression of malignant symptoms;
- rapid tumor growth;
- the presence of renal failure, which acquires a chronic course;
- recurrent hematuria.
In the practice of oncologists during surgical intervention, the following methods are supposed to be used:
- Resection of a specific part of the kidney that is affected by a benign tumor. Such an operation can save the organ.
- Embolization. With this method, a special apparatus is inserted into the artery. Artery feeds angiomyolipoma. This tool helps to close the lumen of the vessel. This technique acts as a preparatory stage before surgery. In rare cases, embolization acts as an independent method of therapy.
- Enucleation. During the operation, the surgeon removes the tumor without damaging the kidney tissue in the neighborhood.
- Cryoablation. This is an innovative way to eliminate tumors through exposure to low temperature. This method of treatment is used only for large tumor sizes.
- Absolute resection of the kidney. With a significant tumor size, the surgeon decides to completely remove the organ.
- Laparoscopy. This method involves the implementation of several punctures, which make it possible to introduce cameras and manipulators into the body.
Forecast
Is angiomyolipoma dangerous? Forecast and survival are positive. The tumor belongs to the category of benign neoplasms located in the capsule. This explains the favorable outcome of treatment. Most patients after surgery have a complete recovery.
Conclusion
How the kidney angiomyolipoma proceeds, whether it is life-threatening, was described in this article. Pathology is one of the serious diseases, but amenable to therapy. The main thing is the diagnosis and the correct treatment.