Thickening of the wall of the bladder is a common phenomenon that accompanies urolithiasis. To establish a similar pathology is possible only with the implementation of ultrasound.
Given that the thickening of the wall of the bladder is not an independent pathology, but only a separate part of it, the specialist can refer the patient to an ultrasound scan in the presence of symptoms characteristic of disorders of the urinary system. In the process of conducting such a diagnosis, the doctor can determine the main pathology, as well as identify the process of compaction of the walls of the urinary organ.
Complaints
The main reason for referring the patient to an ultrasound scan is his complaints and the symptoms listed by him, indicating the development of a pathological process.
Frequent urges to urinate, which are accompanied by sharp pains and pains in the lower abdomen, can be manifestations of the inflammatory process. Advancement of a stone, cancer formation can also cause the appearance of such symptoms.
Signs
Hematuria is one of the signs of a thickening of the wall of the bladder, which should alert the patient. In this case, the urine acquires a red tint, when emptying the bladder, severe pain and burning are felt.
It should be alerted that at the time of urination, the patient feels that the bladder is not completely empty.
If during a laboratory test of urine a protein or an increased number of leukocytes was detected, the urologist without fail sends the patient for a diagnostic examination.
The thickening of the wall of the bladder is divided into local and diffuse, each of which has characteristic causes.
Diffuse seal
This kind of pathological process can provoke inflammation or a sudden increase in the load on the muscle layer of the organ. The bladder is a hollow muscle organ, the main functions of which are to retain urine. The urinary process occurs in such a way that when the bladder is filled, its nerve endings are irritated, after which a signal is sent to the brain about the need to empty it. Muscles begin to contract, which helps to remove urine. With urolithiasis, a stone can block the withdrawal of urine. In this case, the muscle layer of the bladder will continue to contract in order to remove it, despite the obstacle. Frequent and prolonged muscle tension contributes to an increase in muscle volume, and subsequently lead to a densification of the walls of the bladder.
A tumor can also block the ducts in any part of the urinary system. Thickening of the wall of the bladder is observed due to disruption of the prostate gland, its increase in size, which provokes the process of squeezing the urethra, blocking the normal outflow of urine. If a thickening of the bladder wall in men is detected, a specialist should examine the prostate gland and prescribe treatment.
Inflammation of the bladder can also cause a thickening of its walls. That is, a common cause of this pathology is cystitis. The urinary organ is exposed to this disease as a result of severe hypothermia, the presence of infection, injuries of the mucous membrane of the organ. Infection is the main reason for the development of this pathology. Penetrating into the cavity of the bladder, it affects the submucosal and mucous layers. This contributes to the development of serious pathological changes that lead to thickening of the walls of the bladder.
Local seal
Local compaction does not extend completely to the surface of the muscle layer and mucous membrane of the bladder, but only to a specific area of the organ.
The cause of this pathological process is a hereditary factor, especially in those situations when a patient has a specific organ structure that differs from the standard one.
However, a local form of the disease can be acquired in the process of life. Any injury to the bladder can affect the structure of the walls, provoke the development of a hematoma, and subsequently lead to a thickening of its walls.
A benign or malignant neoplasm, polyps, papillomas during ultrasound are manifested in the form of hyperechoic formation in the bladder, which can be indicated by the entry of a kidney calculus into the bladder.
The presence of parasitic pathology, schistosomiasis, indicates an increased echogenicity in some cases. Tuberculosis of this organ can contribute to the compaction of the walls of the bladder.
Specific visual signs may be absent, therefore, a specialist can determine this pathology only after a diagnostic examination.
Why does a bladder wall thicken in women?
Causes
Even a slight compaction of the walls is caused by the most diverse inflammatory and infectious processes. All bacteria and other infections are much easier to penetrate into the bladder of women, since the length of the urethra in them is slightly less than in men. Therefore, this pathological condition is observed mainly in them. In addition, the disease often develops in those patients who have low sexual activity. And finally, the main reason for the compaction of the walls of the bladder is urolithiasis.
Thickening of the walls of the bladder in a child can also be detected. Symptoms should be identified in a timely manner, because children often cannot talk about what is bothering them. After all, the child may not even feel discomfort.
Diagnostic measures
Due to the fact that compaction of the muscle layer cannot be classified as the main pathology, but only to their clinical manifestation, experts direct their actions to determine the true disease in order to prescribe drug therapy in the future.
Ultrasound examinations are considered the fundamental method for the diagnosis of such phenomena and allows us to establish urological pathologies that are dangerous for the bladder. For the full implementation of this study, the patient is recommended to use a large amount of water before the procedure. It is imperative that the bubble is as fluid as possible. In this case, the specialist will be able to detect any pathological formation, establish its localization and degree of risk.
In addition, such a study helps to determine the size of the organ, and in developing pathological processes quite often there are small sizes of the bladder, unable to hold a large volume of urine, as a result of which the muscles have to remain in constant tension. This provokes a thickening of the walls of the bladder.
Treatment
Therapeutic care for the development of such a condition depends on the causes of its occurrence. In inflammatory diseases that caused compaction, the following drugs are used:
- antibacterial - Ciprofloxacin, Amoxicillin, Ceftriaxone, Levofloxacin;
- antispasmodics - "Papaverine" "No-shpa";
- NSAIDs - Ibuprofen, Indomethacin, Meloxicam.
In the case when hypertrophy has arisen due to trauma or a hereditary factor, the treatment, as a rule, involves surgical intervention. Separately, therapy is determined in the case when the cause of the pathology is urolithiasis. The method for removing calculus depends on its size, type and location. Small stones are removed with antispasmodic medications that expand the urinary tract. For large calculi, ultrasonic crushing or surgical removal is used.
The oncological etiology of the development of compaction in the bladder requires combined treatment: chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy.
If the cause of hypertrophy is prostatitis or enlargement of the prostate, help is directed primarily to the treatment of the underlying disease, and after that - the bladder. The causes and treatment of thickening of the walls of the bladder are interrelated.
Recovery
After therapeutic measures, the recovery process begins, in which some medications or physiotherapy can also be prescribed. These include:
- antibiotics
- immunotherapy;
- prostate massage;
- physical exercise;
- rejection of bad habits.
ethnoscience
Alternative medicine can also help, for example, peppermint infusion, a decoction of dandelion roots, carrot decoction, celandine infusion, aloe, etc. Such preparations are prepared according to special recipes.
We examined the causes of thickening of the walls of the bladder.