Nowadays, the spleen cyst is an ailment that is diagnosed in almost 1% of the population. It is a pathological formation in the internal organ with a cavity filled with fluid. Anyone can hit the disease, but is more common among the fair sex at the age of 35-55 years. And here is why it is developing and what treatment methods can be used, we will consider in more detail.
Features of the clinical manifestations of the disease
The clinical manifestations of this ailment completely depend on such characteristics of the neoplasm as localization, nature and size. Small cavities, the diameter of which does not exceed 2 cm, develop without symptoms. The patient does not even know about the existing health problem, and when this ailment is revealed during a routine examination, there is no limit to bewilderment.
The insidiousness of the disease is manifested in the fact that visible symptoms in some cases may be absent even with a large size of the cavity formations. But more often the spleen cyst still shows symptoms , however, their nature does not cause particular concern in the patient, therefore they are often simply ignored. People do not go to the doctor, while the disease continues to progress.
Symptoms of the disease
If the spleen cyst is significant, the patient experiences constant dull or paroxysmal pain in the left hypochondrium, which can radiate to the stomach and left shoulder. In some cases, patients complain of discomfort, such as a feeling of heaviness and bursting in the spleen.
Changes in the structure of this internal organ can also affect the respiratory system. Shortness of breath, coughing and tingling in the chest appear on a deep sigh. And although such symptomatology is inherent in many other diseases, in combination with pain in the left hypochondrium, it should prompt a person to seek medical help.
The clinical picture of a neglected disease
When a single cystic cavity reaches a huge size (7-8 cm), or multiple cysts affect more than 20% of the organ, a violation of the gastrointestinal tract occurs. In this case, the patient complains of constant nausea, belching, discomfort in the stomach and even pain.
The inflammatory process in the cyst and suppuration of its contents leads to increased pain, as well as an increase in body temperature, chills and general weakness. If such symptoms occur, seek medical attention immediately. Otherwise, the spleen cyst may burst, and its contents - get into the abdominal cavity.
Disease classification
Depending on the etiology, the disease is divided into three main types. The first is the true (congenital) cystic cavity, is the result of abnormal development of the organ during intrauterine development. It is worth noting that the spleen cyst in a newborn requires systematic observation by a doctor. Many cases have been recorded when, when a child reaches the age of two years, education disappears and the organ acquires a normal structure.
The second type is false cysts (acquired), which developed as a result of diseases. The list ends with a spleen parasitic cyst, which develops when parasitic microorganisms enter the organ.
Types of disease
Changes in the structure of an organ can develop in two ways. At the first, only one cavity with a liquid is formed, which has a specific localization. The progression of the disease leads to an increase in the size of such a formation. As for the second type, it suggests the presence of a large number of small cystic cavities, the localization of which does not have clear boundaries. The process of development of the disease is characterized by the appearance of new cavities.
Causes of the disease
If a spleen cyst is diagnosed, the reasons should be sought based on the nature and type of formation. A true multiple or single cyst usually occurs due to embryogenesis. Even in the womb in the baby’s organ, cavities form, which after birth can continue to grow.
False cystic formations may appear due to a medical abscess, surgery, infection, or various injuries. The development of an ailment is a kind of reaction of an organ to an external action.
As for the cause of the development of a parasitic cyst, it is already understandable - a parasitic infection.
Diagnostic Features
Since the disease can proceed without manifestation of visible symptoms, problems with early diagnosis simply cannot be avoided. Most often, the disease is detected precisely during a routine examination and a clinical examination. Detect the presence of cysts in the spleen using ultrasound or MRI.
Only in those cases when the disease is in an advanced stage, and the clinical manifestations are very bright, does the doctor purposefully send the patient for examination of the spleen. For this, the patient must not only undergo an ultrasound scan, but also pass a general blood test. If there is a disease, this laboratory test allows you to judge the general condition of the patient and establish at what stage the inflammatory process is.
Spleen cyst in children
In children, the disease is most often a congenital pathology, only in 20-25% of cases the appearance of a cyst is associated with an inflammatory or infectious process. Regardless of the etiology, the disease is predominantly asymptomatic. Signs of a pathological change in the spleen appear only when the spleen cyst in a child grows to a certain size or becomes inflamed.
In such cases, the baby often begins to complain of pain in the left hypochondrium and systematic dizziness. If the child is very small and cannot explain the reason for his suffering, parents should be wary of the behavior of the crumbs. The baby becomes irritable, often cries, and during an attack can squeeze the legs to the tummy or just press the handles on the left barrel. An appointment with a doctor with such symptoms cannot be postponed, because such a clinical picture is inherent not only in cystic formations in the spleen, but also in many other dangerous diseases.
The clinical picture of advanced forms of the disease in children
If the cystic formation has reached large sizes, or small cysts have affected more than 20% of the organ, the symptoms are bright. And in cases when the inflammatory process also develops in the cavity, the baby experiences constant pain in the left hypochondrium, which often radiates to the scapular region and shoulder. During attacks, the pain syndrome intensifies. An inflamed spleen cyst in a child can also be the cause of fever, shortness of breath and a slight unproductive cough.
In such cases, seeking qualified medical care should be mandatory. Indeed, ignoring the symptoms of the disease can lead to very dangerous consequences, one of which is peritonitis.
What is the danger of a spleen cyst?
Lack of timely diagnosis of cystic education and treatment can cause a lot of health problems, and even cause death.
In a severe course of the disease, the contents of the cyst sometimes partially flow into the abdominal cavity and cause inflammatory processes of varying complexity. In some cases, bleeding may open in a cystic formation, which is extremely dangerous for the patient's life.
If the spleen cyst burst, and its contents completely fell into the abdominal cavity, within a few hours the person develops the so-called picture of “acute abdomen”, as a result, peritonitis. Lack of emergency medical care in this case can lead to death.
But suppuration of the cyst, even if its integrity, causes acute intoxication of the body.
Cystic education
To date, medications that could cope with cystic education simply do not exist. If the patient is diagnosed with a spleen cyst, what to do, only a doctor can decide. With uncomplicated non-parasitic formation, the size of which does not exceed 3 cm, patients need to undergo an ultrasound examination twice a year. Based on the diagnostic results, the doctor will be able to monitor the dynamics of the development of the cystic cavity and, if necessary, recommend a surgical treatment method.
If, during the observation process, a specialist records a change in the structure and size of the cyst, the patient is prescribed computed tomography. This diagnostic method eliminates the presence of malignant neoplasms in the walls of the cavity.
Who is indicated for the surgical treatment of the disease?
If a spleen cyst is diagnosed, surgery is the only method of completely getting rid of the disease. However, if the education does not change in size for a long time and has a stable structure, there is no need for such a radical method of treatment.
Indications for surgical treatment are only complex forms of the disease. Removal of the spleen cyst is mandatory when rupture and suppuration of the cavity, as well as bleeding. Conditionally absolute indications for surgery are formations, the diameter of which is more than 10 cm, with a pronounced clinical picture. Surgical treatment of the disease can also be recommended for patients with recurrent cysts of 3-10 cm.
Types of Surgery
To date, the operational method of treating cystic education is the only option to eliminate the ailment and return patients to a normal lifestyle. Depending on the severity of the disease, localization and other characteristics of the education, doctors select the optimal method of surgical intervention. So, with multiple cysts that affected more than 40% of the spleen, the organ is completely removed. In single education, the following types of operations can be used:
- removal of only cysts with its internal and external membranes and treatment of the affected areas with argon-enhanced plasma;
- partial excision (resection) of the affected organ together with a cystic formation;
- removal of the cyst and part of the organ, which involves subsequent autologous transplantation of spleen tissue into the greater omentum ;
- puncture (fluid intake) of the cystic cavity and the introduction of a special sclerosing medical solution.
The modern method of operations
The most effective method of surgical intervention today is laparoscopy. It allows not only to completely cope with the disease, but also to minimize the patient rehabilitation process. Such an operation is carried out for two hours, using ultra-precise instruments and a special camera. After surgery, only 3 small incisions remain on the patient’s body, on which only 1 cosmetic suture is applied . Within a few months, the scars are almost completely absorbed.
Life without a spleen
Of course, it is better to carry out, if a spleen cyst is diagnosed, treatment without surgery, but, unfortunately, this is not always possible. In the case when the organ still had to be removed, the patient must completely change his attitude to his own health.
Previously, even doctors underestimated the importance of the spleen in the proper functioning of the body's vital systems. However, in recent years, scientists have been working hard to create ways to preserve this organ, even with severe lesions and injuries. After all, the spleen performs not only the functions of hematopoiesis, but also is a kind of filter from bacteria. After removal of the organ, immunity is significantly reduced, therefore it is important to maintain the protective functions of the body with the help of immunomodulating drugs, as well as actively engage in sports and pay due attention to hardening.