Ultrasonographic diagnosis of intussusception of intestinal lipoma

Features of the disease

The most common cause of lipoma is severe trauma. The abdominal wall is the most unfavorable place for the formation of such pathologies, because when the tumor grows, it compresses the pelvic organs and causes severe discomfort to the patient. At the initial stages of development, the disease does not make itself felt, only when the lipoma increases significantly in size, clear signs of the disease appear. Preperitoneal lipoma consists of adipose tissue and develops in the area of ​​the abdominal muscles. Such a wen appears if there is a disturbance in the process of cell formation. Many people compare a lipoma to a hernia, but this is wrong, since a hernia appears due to the fact that a weak abdominal wall cannot withstand pressure.

If you consult a doctor in time, lipoma does not threaten the patient with serious consequences. In the event that an inflammatory process occurs and the tumor begins to actively develop, serious complications may occur. If a neoplasm appears in the retroperitoneal space, it is very difficult to determine whether it is benign or malignant. To do this, it is necessary to perform surgical intervention, after which the tissues will be sent for histological examination. Using this method, doctors will determine the nature of the lipoma.

When should a lipoma be removed from a child?

A growth on a child’s body is removed in the following cases:

• when the tumor is located on the child’s neck and there is a threat of compression of the blood vessels;
• the wen quickly increases in size and causes pain to the child;
• education negatively affects the functioning of internal organs;
• the lipoma turns red and itches;
• The fatty deposits are located in an open area and require removal for cosmetic purposes.

Wen removal in children is carried out upon reaching 5 years of age, unless complex cases arise that require urgent intervention on the recommendation of a doctor.

How is a lipoma removed from a child?

Lipoma removal can be done using a variety of techniques.

Which include:

• surgical method - a specialist uses a scalpel to make a small incision and remove the lipoma along with the capsule. Suitable for large size wen. The disadvantage of this method is the scar after the procedure;
• endoscopic method - using surgical instruments, a small incision is made, through which the fat capsule is destroyed and the contents are removed out. This method leaves virtually no traces, but may cause the problem to reappear;
• laser intervention – using a laser beam, fatty tissue is destroyed. The advantage is the almost complete absence of bleeding and possible complications. Disadvantages include scarring;
• cryodestruction - using liquid azo, the wen is frozen. The formation disappears on its own without scars, but this method is used only for small formations. Very often, one procedure may not be enough, and a complex of treatments is required;
• puncture method - involves puncturing the formation and pumping out its contents. It is carried out by a specialist under completely sterile conditions; such intervention is not carried out independently.

Only a specialist can determine the correct method of intervention. For children, removal is performed under local anesthesia.

Skin care after wen removal

After the operation, there will be a suture on which a sterile bandage is applied. The intervention site must be treated with a special antiseptic prescribed by the doctor.

The child should not touch the lipoma removal site, otherwise infection may occur. It is also not recommended to wet the wound with water before removing the suture.

With normal healing, the suture is removed after 7-10 days. It is also necessary to avoid regular rubbing of clothing with the site where the wen is removed. When using laser removal, it is not recommended to be in direct sunlight for the first few days.

The main reasons for the appearance

There are a number of factors under the influence of which preperitoneal lipoma appears. These include:

1. Obesity. Excess weight can trigger the development of lipoma. As medical practice shows, overweight people most often diagnose themselves with this disease. This is due to the fact that excessive food consumption and disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract have a bad effect on the development of fat cells. For this reason, adipose tissue begins to actively grow, increasing the chance of an atypical structure appearing.
2. Injuries of the pelvic organs. After severe damage, the work and structure of the tissue is disrupted. In frequent cases, everything heals quickly and returns to its original form, but sometimes a structural change occurs. Because of this, the cells begin to grow quickly.
3. Unexpected appearance. Sometimes a lipoma develops without the presence of any factors.

The central line of the body is a white stripe. It runs from the chest to the pubis. There are different muscles in this place. For this reason, the zone is a vulnerable spot. If a lipoma develops, other muscles weaken. As a result, the formation protrudes or turns into a hernia. If the disease is too advanced, then there is strong pressure on the vessels. They begin to be compressed along with the colon and other organs. As a result, intestinal obstruction develops.

What it is

Wen in a child is a neoplasm of benign etiology, which develops in the layers of connective tissue, however, against the background of rapid growth and an increase in the volume of pathogenic contents, it can invade the muscle space. Lipomas are indiscriminate in localization and can appear on the skin of the face, neck, chest, and limbs.

Physiological phenomena caused by insufficient maturity of the sebaceous glands include white wen in infants. The formation of wen immediately after birth is observed in every second baby.

Newborn lipomas do not require treatment and disappear completely during the first weeks of life.

Possible complications

If you do not consult a doctor in time, serious complications will most likely arise that will adversely affect the functioning of the entire body. The most dangerous thing is that a lipoma can develop into a malignant tumor. This disease is dangerous because it can spread to other organs. The disease can activate the process of metastasis to any part of the body. This leads to the death of the patient. Less dangerous complications include:

1. The appearance of a hernia in the anterior abdominal wall. Infringement of the large intestine occurs. Treatment is carried out only surgically. The formation and part of the intestine are removed.
2. There are disturbances in the functioning of neighboring organs located in the pelvic area.
3. Severe inflammation of one of the organs or internal bleeding.

To reduce the risk of serious complications, it is important to have regular medical checkups. Experts say that most patients learned about the presence of a tumor during a medical examination. Since there are practically no complaints at the initial stage of development.

Why is wen dangerous for children?

The formation of wen is not dangerous for the child and can be treated quickly. However, in some cases, a harmless formation can cause harm.

Such cases include:

• the wen is located in a place where blood vessels accumulate and there is a risk of compression and impaired blood circulation;
• The wen is located in the head area and increases in size. Which can result in vascular thrombosis in the brain area;
• a wen has appeared on the eyelids, such formations can negatively affect the child’s future vision and require urgent intervention;
• after damage, the wen becomes inflamed and a purulent process appears.

In some cases, wen can develop into a malignant formation. Therefore, when the first symptoms appear, you must contact a specialist to diagnose the problem.

First signs

It is impossible to make a diagnosis on your own at home. Only after a medical examination is performed, the doctor is able to determine the presence of the disease. Among the first possible symptoms of preperitoneal lipoma may be:

• general weakness;
• headache;
• increased body temperature;
• feeling of discomfort in the pelvic area;
• pain during bowel movements.

Since these signs may indicate the presence of other pathologies, it is important to consult a specialist in a timely manner. When the disease is advanced, the lipoma is visible to the naked eye. A photo of a preperitoneal lipoma (we cannot provide it for aesthetic reasons) will help determine its presence. Sizes can vary from a pea to a human head. At the time of palpation, the patient feels pain or discomfort. In the last stages of development, the tumor can sag.

Tumor diagnosis

The choice of diagnostic method directly depends on the location and consistency of the lipoma. If the doctor is uncomfortable palpating the area, then it is necessary to use an additional research method. This may be an x-ray or ultrasound. Using X-ray diagnostics, the structure of the body's soft tissue is assessed. If the pathology is located in the retroperitoneal space, then the specialist additionally uses artificial gas contrast. The best method for studying deep lipomas is X-ray tomography. This type of study allows you to clearly analyze the condition of adipose tissue. If there is any doubt about the nature of the formation of the lipoma, then fluid should be collected and a biopsy performed. In case of inpatient treatment, a clinical blood test and culture test are prescribed. After the results of the study, the doctor prescribes individual treatment.

Effective treatment

Preperitoneal lipoma is a benign tumor that consists of fat. Therefore, drug treatment is not used. No medications or infusions will get rid of such anomalies. The only way to treat the tumor is surgical removal. The sooner the operation is performed, the better. If the disease is advanced, there is a high risk of complications. The quality of the operation directly depends on the experience and qualifications of the doctor. If a specialist has discovered a preperitoneal lipoma (ICD-10 code: D17), then chemotherapy is carried out only when the pathology has become malignant.

Basic methods

There are many treatments for preperitoneal lipoma. Serious complications most often complicate the operation process. Preperitoneal lipoma of the anterior abdominal wall is much easier to treat. If the anomaly is large, then the operation is performed through the wall of the abdominal cavity. Due to the fact that tissues are damaged, the rehabilitation process is longer. In the world of modern technology, surgeons began to use the endoscope. This surgical instrument makes it possible to excise the formation through a small incision, in which case the risk of bleeding is minimal. The patient leaves the hospital after 4 days. After 2 weeks, you can return to your usual activities, but it is advisable to avoid heavy physical activity.

Preventive recommendations from doctors

To prevent the disease from reappearing, you need to take into account several recommendations. Namely:

1. Maintain proper nutrition. To control your weight, it is important to eat a healthy and balanced diet. The diet should contain a sufficient amount of fiber. The emphasis should be on vegetables and fruits. It is advisable to exclude sweet and flour products, since the body does not receive nutrients from these foods. Dairy and fermented milk products have a positive effect on the functioning of the intestinal tract and facilitate the process of bowel movements.
2. If you have extra pounds, you should combine proper nutrition with moderate physical activity. In any case, you should consult a therapist and nutritionist. If you have other serious illnesses, excessive exercise can only make the problem worse.
3. It is important to avoid injury. This applies most of all to those people who are actively involved in sports.

It is necessary to undergo regular medical examinations and tests. An experienced doctor can determine the presence of a tumor even without hardware examination.

What is the danger

More often, lipomas in newborns, as well as older children, are not dangerous and do not require mandatory removal. However, with a certain localization of wen, the appearance of a number of problems is still possible. For example, a significant increase in size of neoplasms can cause compression of large vessels, disruption of nutrition of tissues and organs, and disturbances in skin pigmentation.

The location of wen in areas subject to constant friction against clothing can cause suppuration, injury to tumors, the development of sepsis, and inflammatory processes. Excessive enlargement of the lipoma can also lead to impaired mobility. This is most often observed if the wen has more than five centimeters in diameter.

Doctors' opinion

People who have similar diseases in their family need to monitor their health especially carefully. This is associated with an increased risk of pathology. Sometimes a child has a preperitoneal lipoma already from birth; it is important not to delay treatment. Experts recommend undergoing an examination every six months. This will allow us to identify the disease at the initial stage of development. If you surgically remove a formation that has not yet grown too much, then the treatment process for preperitoneal lipoma will not be delayed.

Prevention of pathology

To prevent the development of preperitoneal lipoma, doctors advise adhering to a number of rules:

• Balance your diet - increase plant fiber, vitamins and microelements, fermented milk products and water.
• Avoid alcoholic drinks and nicotine.
• Take daily walks in the fresh air.
• Don't give up physical activity.
• Avoid injury.
• Undergo routine medical examinations and medical examinations.

Taking simple measures and monitoring your own health will help you avoid many dangers and death. At the first suspicion of illness, you should go to the clinic and do not self-medicate - this can lead to adverse consequences!