Liver lipomatosis is a pathology accompanied by the formation of nodes in the structure of the gastrointestinal tract. These formations are benign in nature, consist of fat cells, can disrupt the functionality of adjacent tissues and organs. In addition, there is a risk of transformation of the tumor into a malignant one.
In the early stages, the disease has erased symptoms, so diagnosis is difficult. However, as the pathology develops, specific symptoms of liver diseases arise: nausea, pain in the right hypochondrium.
Very often, lipomatosis of the liver and pancreas occurs simultaneously.
Basic information about this pathology
Hepatic lipoma is a benign mass consisting of adipose and connective tissue, as well as processes of nerve cells. The consistency of the formation is soft, has mobility, does not cause pain.
Hepatic lipomatosis develops due to excessive accumulation of adipose tissue in the body, which gradually begins to replace healthy hepatocytes. The liver on the background of the pathological process begins to increase, its activity is disrupted, as well as the synthesis of hepatic iron enzymes, as a result of which the organ loses its ability to cleanse the blood of toxic substances.
Most often, lipomas are diagnosed in women 25-50 years old. They appear as a result of a violation of the formation of fat cells, expansion of the lumen of the ducts of the sebaceous glands.
Signs of lipomatosis of the liver and pancreas depend on the form of formation.
Forms of the disease
The disease can have several variations:
- Nodular lipomatosis. It is characterized by the formation of one or more lipomas located in the subcutaneous fatty tissue (hypodermis).
- Diffuse lipomatosis. This form is characterized by a severe course and the appearance of a larger number of formations.
- Mixed. Pathology is characterized by a slow course, accompanied by the appearance of a large number of lipomas on various organs.
Stages of the disease
Given the severity of the pathological process, liver lipomatosis is divided into the following stages:
- First phase. Fatty lesions affect up to 1/3 of the liver. Pathology is characterized by an erased clinical picture, liver functionality is slightly impaired.
- In the second phase, about half of the hepatocytes are replaced with adipose tissue, the patient notes symptoms such as a feeling of heaviness in the right hypochondrium, belching, and bloating.
- In the third stage, more than 50% of tissues are affected. The patient notes the appearance of digestive disorders, the blood sugar level rises sharply. The probability of degeneration of wen into malignant tumors will increase.
Why does lipomatosis of the liver and pancreas occur?
Reasons for the development of pathology
At present, the exact causes of the appearance of wen on the liver have not been elucidated. However, experts identify a number of factors contributing to the development of pathology:
- Passive lifestyle.
- The presence of excess weight.
- Regular consumption of large doses of alcoholic beverages.
- Pathologies of the pancreas, liver, having a chronic course.
- Functional disorders of the pituitary, thyroid gland.
- Hormonal disruptions.
- Diabetes.
- Violation of lipid metabolism, high cholesterol.
- High slagging of the body. As a result of oversaturation with toxins and slag, the gastrointestinal tract function is disrupted, which significantly increases the risk of lipomas in the liver and pancreas.
- Hereditary predisposition. The risk of benign tumors is higher in patients in whom close relatives suffered from liver lipomatosis. This is due to the congenital pathology of the twelfth chromosome responsible for lipid metabolism.
The treatment regimen for a tumor depends on the cause of its development. Often, liver lipomatosis develops in patients who abuse alcohol. Ethyl alcohol is able to disrupt the structure of hepatocytes and, as a result, adversely affect the functionality of the organ.
Symptoms of lipomatosis
Diffuse changes in the liver by the type of lipomatosis, as well as the pancreas, are diagnosed more often in patients older than 30 years. At the initial stages of development, the pathology is latent, and the first clinical signs occur as the adipose tissue spreads to neighboring tissues and junction of nerve cells.
Most often, formations are detected by chance in the diagnosis of other diseases. Over time, a lipoma grows and manifests itself with the following symptoms:
- Soreness when palpating the right hypochondrium.
- Loss of appetite, its decrease, weight loss.
- Fatigue, stress, irritability due to disturbances in the hormonal background.
- The appearance of mini-lipomas under the skin.
- Digestive disorder: stool disorder, bloating, vomiting.
- The appearance of dark spots in the armpits, on the neck.
- Enlarged liver, which can be detected by palpation.
When symptoms of diffuse lipomatosis of the liver appear, it is important to pay attention to the problem and consult a doctor. The disease does not pass on its own, and only competent therapy will prevent the further growth of the tumor and its degeneration into a malignant formation.
Diagnosis of this disease
It is very difficult to detect lipomatosis in the early stages of development, since the disease is hidden. In addition, the symptomatology of the pathology is similar to the manifestations of other diseases.
In order to diagnose lipomatosis, the following diagnostic methods are used:
- Ultrasonography. Allows you to identify the formation, to assess their localization, size. Using this diagnostic method, lipomatosis can be detected at the earliest stages. This study has no contraindications, it is absolutely safe.
- CT scan. It is a more informative diagnostic method, allowing the specialist to get the most complete picture of the disease.
- Computed tomography using a contrast agent. This technique allows a deeper study of the structure of lipomas.
- Biopsy. Obtained by biopsy, a sample of tumor tissue is examined for cytology. This research method is the most accurate.
In addition, the patient is prescribed laboratory tests of blood samples, urine, a biochemical blood test. The latest analysis allows you to detect diseases such as hepatitis, syphilis, HIV, which are a contraindication to surgery. That is, the method of therapy directly depends on the results of blood biochemistry.
How to treat liver lipomatosis?
Pathology therapy
If suspicious symptoms are found, the patient should consult a physician. The doctor will prescribe the necessary examination and, if necessary, recommend receiving advice from narrow specialists.
The causes and treatment of lipomatosis are interrelated.
Therapy of the disease should be comprehensive. The patient is recommended to undergo surgery, the use of medications and lifestyle changes. With the help of surgical intervention, education is removed, and drugs can stop the further development of pathology. A doctor must make a decision on taking medications based on data on the stage, form, nature, location of the tumor.
Using drugs, you can prevent the occurrence of a new lipoma, protect against damage to hepatocytes, restore their functionality, support the liver. In therapy, the use of hepatoprotective drugs, antiviral agents, immunomodulators, vitamins, antibacterial medications is recommended. As a supportive treatment, antioxidants, multivitamin complexes, amino acids, and herbal extracts can be used.
The choice of drugs for lipomatosis
When choosing medications, the doctor takes into account the alleged cause of the occurrence of lipomatosis (diffuse changes in the liver). For example, if the disease is provoked by alcoholic damage, it is indicated to prescribe lipoic acid, which can accelerate the cleaning of tissues from ethanol and neutralize its effect. If lipomatosis is in the third stage of development, it is indicated to take amino acids. In order to restore the liver structures, it is recommended to use vitamins, essential phospholipids, antioxidants and medicines, which are based on an extract from milk thistle.
It should be noted that tumor cells can be in the patient’s liver throughout his life. However, if they do not cause discomfort, surgery may not be performed.
Surgical treatment of this disease
You can get rid of lipomatosis of the liver and pancreas exclusively by surgery. If necessary, the surgeon also removes adjacent tissue that has been affected.
To remove small tumors, the radio wave method can be used. This method is safer, as the patient does not lose blood during the procedure, and the likelihood of injury or complications is minimal. Remove the formation using a radio wave scalpel.
If the tumor is large, its removal is possible only by standard operation. During the intervention, local or general anesthesia can be used. The type of anesthesia is determined taking into account the age of the patient and the severity of the disease.
Stages of operations with lipomatosis
The operation aimed at removing the lipoma is carried out in several stages:
- The abdominal space is cut in layers with a scalpel.
- The surgeon gets access to education with the help of the blunt side of the scalpel.
What else does treatment for liver lipomatosis mean?
Nutrition rules for this pathology
The most important point of complex therapy is dieting and rejection of harmful addictions. With proper nutrition, the load on the damaged organ decreases, the body is saturated with useful substances.
During therapy for hepatic lipomatosis, the patient's diet should be rich in the following foods and dishes:
- Rice, oatmeal, buckwheat, cooked on the water.
- Dairy products, milk with low fat content.
- Steamed fish, lean meats.
- Fresh fruits, vegetables.
- Soups, which are based on vegetable broth and do not contain frying.
It is important to refrain from eating foods saturated with fats, carbohydrates. The patient is also recommended to refuse spicy, fatty dishes, coffee, chocolate.
An essential condition for successful treatment of lipomatosis is the rejection of alcohol. Harmful addictions (addiction, tobacco smoking, alcohol) will only accelerate the onset of complications.
The likely consequences of the disease
Most often, the consequences that occur against the background of lipomatosis are minimal. However, atypical lipomatosis increases the likelihood of developing such dangerous pathologies:
- If the disease has a protracted course, wen can degenerate into liposarcomas (malignant tumors). Quite often this occurs as a result of injury, bruising, damage. With a late visit to the doctor, a malignant tumor can give metastases (secondary tumor foci).
- Large fat formations are capable of compressing neighboring tissues, disrupting neurofiber conduction and blood circulation. Such a violation threatens the occurrence of paroxysmal pain, paralysis, paresis.
- Under the influence of certain factors, the process of inflammation occurs, against which the risk of developing hernias, exacerbation of pathologies with a chronic course increases. In this case, the patient needs a more radical and long-term therapy.
Conclusion
Lipomatosis is dangerous if fat formations are large. They provoke the occurrence of serious complications, threatening a violation of the functionality of many organs and death. In order to timely detect lipomas in the liver and pancreas, it is important to undergo preventive medical examinations every year, eat right, refrain from addictions, move a lot.