A tumor of Abrikosov is a benign neoplasm. It develops in a child during fetal development. They reveal it immediately after the baby is born or during the first year of life. Is this pathology dangerous?
Medical certificate
Abrikosov's tumor is a rare pathology. In medical sources, you can also find its other name - myoblastoma.
Education can have two course options:
- Congenital myoblastoma.
- Granular cell tumor.
Abrikosov's tumor looks like a rounded formation. It does not always have an integral structure; it can have several lobes connected together. The surface of the growth is smooth. It may have a whitish or yellowish tint. With pressure on the tumor, painful discomfort does not occur.
Most often it is localized on the tongue and alveolar processes. In rare cases, a tumor of Abrikosov is detected in the esophagus. However, it is prone to growth. There are cases when the neoplasm reached a sufficiently large size. Therefore, doctors often find a problem in the area of the root of the tongue that fills the entire oral cavity.
Main reasons
The exact causes of the development of pathology are still poorly understood. However, doctors suggest that there is some malfunction during fetal development. As a result, cells are not formed correctly.
The following factors can lead to this kind of failure:
- smoking and drinking alcohol during pregnancy;
- uncontrolled intake of drugs by the expectant mother;
- infectious and viral diseases.
The impact of these factors on the woman’s body during pregnancy increases the likelihood of a tumor in the baby. On the other hand, their presence in the life of the future mother is not at all a 100% guarantee of the occurrence of pathology. To avoid risk, doctors recommend that these risk factors be eliminated.
Clinical picture
What Abrikosov’s tumor looks like (photo), you can see in the specialized medical literature. Outwardly, it resembles a rounded formation, but may have uneven edges. The neoplasm is predominantly affected by the language. Therefore, immediately after the birth of a child, it is easy to diagnose it.
Due to the rapid growth of the tumor, it begins to grow rapidly, occupying the entire oral cavity. As a result, at first it becomes difficult for the child to chew food and swallow. Then he experiences breathing difficulties, and speech skills also suffer. Often, the clinical picture is supplemented by inflammatory processes in the oral mucosa.
Diagnostic Methods
Doctors manage to notice pathological changes in the oral cavity in a newborn in the hospital. However, specialists can make a final diagnosis only after histological examination of tumor materials. For this purpose, some of it is sent to the laboratory. With the help of histology, one can also judge the malignancy or benignness of the pathology. In medical practice, there are cases when the Abrikosov tumor had cancer elements in its composition.
Based on the results of the study, the doctor confirms or refutes the preliminary diagnosis, prescribes therapy.
Therapy Basics
Treatment of Abrikosov's tumor is possible in the only way - surgical. Only the affected area is subject to removal.
As before any other medical manipulation, previously a complex of tests is taken from the child. The procedure itself is performed using general anesthesia. Parents should not be afraid of anesthesia, since there are no other options for treating the tumor.
During the operation, the doctor excises the neoplasm. In especially advanced cases, resection of surrounding tissues is performed. Sutures are placed at the site of the lesion. Then begins the rehabilitation period.
It provides for some restrictions. For example, during this period, the child is not recommended solid food (if the baby is older than a year). Parents, in turn, must constantly monitor the wound healing process. If an inflammatory process or suppuration occurs, you should immediately consult a doctor. Subfebrile temperature may persist for several days after surgery. This is a completely normal phenomenon that does not require medical attention.
Prognosis for recovery
The prognosis for a tumor of Abrikosov in most cases is favorable. Moreover, it does not depend on the location of the lesion and the degree of involvement of the soft tissues.
A less favorable prognosis is observed in the case of a relapse of the pathology or its malignancy. If cancer cells were detected during a histological examination of the neoplasm, a small patient is additionally prescribed chemotherapy before surgery. Its main goal is to reduce the tumor.
Prevention Methods
Abrikosov's tumor is a rare pathology that requires immediate treatment. Is it possible to prevent its occurrence?
Standard preventive measures come down to closer attention to a woman’s own health during pregnancy. Even at the planning stage, doctors recommend abandoning addictions, start eating right, eliminate stress. If the expectant mother needs to take medications, you should discuss this issue with the gynecologist. Probably, it will be necessary to select their analogues, which are completely safe for the development of the fetus inside the womb.