A suppurating atheroma is a benign cyst that is formed as a result of blockage of the duct of the sebaceous glands, as evidenced by a black dot on top of the lump. As a result of inaction and lack of proper care, pus may appear. You should immediately consult a doctor to provide timely assistance and avoid serious complications.
What is suppurating atheroma?
A suppurating atheroma is a benign, round cyst that protrudes above the skin. It is a capsule with white or greenish contents, characterized by an unpleasant odor. Externally, it does not differ from other tumors: hygromas, fibromas, lipomas.
Since cysts appear in the skin and consist of epidermal structures, they are also called epidermal. Despite the fact that the formation is growing, it is not a tumor. For this reason, atheroma is not malignant and does not turn into cancer. The mechanism of their occurrence is fundamentally different.
If, when you put pressure on the cyst, a pasty substance with a pungent odor comes out of it, and the formation itself is painful, then you can definitely say that this is a suppurating atheroma.
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Such a neoplasm is a reason to see a doctor, because with further development, an abscess of the sebaceous gland may appear.
Suppuration is a dangerous process, it is necessary to get rid of it. But before starting any action, the inflammation should be removed. Only after this is removal carried out in case of danger to human life.
Risk factors
Suppurating cysts are the most common:
- After puberty, very rarely they occur before puberty;
- In men, on all parts of the body, except for the head (the head is more often affected in women);
- In persons who had acne during puberty;
- After extensive tanning;
- After a skin injury. Usually these are microtraumas.
The formation of atheroma cannot be prevented. But, people who have already had such formations should avoid using skin care products that contain oils, as oils can increase the risk of blocked sebaceous ducts, which increases the risk of developing sebaceous cysts.
Source: papillomnet.ru
Forms of atheroma
Atheromas are classified depending on the composition of their contents and histological structure. There are four forms of formations:
- sebaceous gland cyst;
- dermoid;
- atheromatosis;
- steacytoma.
All these cysts are characterized by the same signs and course. Doctors do not use this classification in their practice, and the types of atheroma are of interest only for scientific research.
Specialists involved in treatment use the division of cysts according to their location and characteristics of appearance. This approach divides neoplasms into congenital and acquired.
Congenital ones look like small cysts, not exceeding half a centimeter in diameter. But their number is multiplicity. Localized in the areas of the pubis, scrotum, and scalp. Their appearance is caused by a genetic disorder in the structure of the sebaceous glands.
Acquired ones are formed due to blockage of the ducts. They can be provoked by a change in the consistency of sebum towards thickening, against the background of injuries, hormonal imbalance, inflammatory processes of the skin and other factors. These atheromas are often single, take a long time to develop and grow to significant sizes.
Useful tips
Here's what you should know before you see a surgeon for help:
- Atheroma is not a tumor, but a cyst, dangerous only with inflammation and suppuration;
- A cystic neoplasm has arisen because the sebaceous gland has become blocked in the skin, and now the sebaceous masses cannot come to the surface, so they accumulate under the skin;
- The cause of blockage of the excretory channel may be air pollution, poor body hygiene, or disturbances in the functioning of the body;
- The price for removing an epidermal cyst depends on a number of factors, ranging from the doctor, his qualifications and experience, to the degree of complexity of the development of atheroma and its location. If you are concerned about the cost of the operation, consult a specialist about this; the surgeon will tell you exactly how much it will cost to remove a cyst in a particular case;
- Both a surgeon and a dermatologist can remove cystic formations, but not a cosmetologist, especially without specialized medical education;
- Tumors can only be removed in certified medical institutions;
- Read reviews about clinics and doctors to make the right choice of your specialist. It is best if the reviews are positive, this will affect the outcome of your operation;
- Cyst removal is performed under local anesthesia, and postoperative rehabilitation is not required;
- It is very important that the atheroma capsule is removed;
- When an epidermal cyst suppurates, it is not removed, but simply cleaned of pus, but removal can be carried out only after the inflammatory period has passed.
Source: oberig.ua
Causes
All the reasons for the appearance of atheromas can be briefly described by one generalizing primary source, this is blockage of the excretory duct of the sebaceous gland. And it can be caused by many factors:
- increased sebum density
- inflammation of the hair follicle;
- inflammation of the skin;
- injury to the sebaceous glands;
- acne or pimples;
- skin injuries
- increased sweating;
- failure in the hormonal system;
- abuse of cosmetics;
- violation of hygiene standards;
- genetic predisposition.
Suppuration of atheroma is caused by pathogenic bacteria that get under the capsule of the cyst. As a result, an abscess appears. The contents of the dilated duct act as a breeding ground for microbes; the result of their vital activity is the transformation of sebum into pus.
How does inflammation occur?
Lipids accumulating in the cyst capsule provide a breeding ground for the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms. After entering the atheroma cavity, they multiply and thereby trigger the inflammatory process.
Causes of infection:
- An attempt to get rid of atheroma on your own, to squeeze it out;
- Failure to comply with hygiene rules;
- Excessive production of testosterone by the body of a man or androgens by the body of a woman;
- The use of synthetic clothing and the resulting increased sweating;
- Injury to the epidermis in the projection of atheroma.
With weakened immunity, secondary infection can occur when pathogenic organisms penetrate the atheroma capsule through the bloodstream from other foci of infection.
The danger of suppurating atheroma
Pus can break out or leak into the subcutaneous space, which threatens blood poisoning. Progressive inflammation can lead to complications:
- phlegmon is a purulent formation without definite boundaries;
- suppuration of organs or tissues;
- the formation of blood clots that are dangerous to human life.
The opened cyst does not flow out entirely, and the remains in the capsule lead to relapse. Repeated inflammation develops at lightning speed, swelling occurs within a few minutes.
If the abscess is located in a dangerous area, then it requires urgent medical intervention. These are the areas of the peritoneum, groin, armpits, ears, nasolabial triangle and base of the skull.
Complications are extremely dangerous, so it is advisable to remove the festering atheroma immediately. In some cases, emergency surgery is resorted to. To avoid such manipulations, attention should be paid to formation at the stage of its detection.
Forecast
The prognosis will be favorable if everything is done on time, avoiding complications of the disease in the form of inflammation and suppuration.
Therefore, there is no need to waste time and delay treatment, trying to heal yourself, as it is useless. Atheroma can resolve in isolated cases without help from specialists. Therefore, atheroma should not be ignored. Treatment should be done in the early stages of development. Such a strategy can minimize cosmetic defects.
Source: stoprodinkam.ru
Symptoms
When the atheroma festers, the following picture is typical for the symptoms:
- An increase in temperature both in the area of the cyst and in the general area.
- Swelling of the lymph nodes in the area of atheroma.
- Throbbing pain .
- Swelling of the skin.
- With atheroma of significant size, there are signs of intoxication of the body.
- General malaise and weakness.
- Redness of the skin.
- Swelling at the site of formation.
- Sharp pain on palpation.
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If these signs appear, you should seek medical help immediately. Before going to the doctor, you should apply a sterile bandage. Under no circumstances should you open the abscess yourself.
Such actions are dangerous as they can cause harm to health and become a threat to life. If you develop a fever and a sharp deterioration in your health, you should contact an ambulance.
First aid
If the growth cannot open on its own, then under the influence of mechanical damage - this phenomenon sometimes happens. When the tumor is located on the tissues of the head or limbs, the problem is solved quite quickly. But, in cases in which the burst growth is located in the peritoneum, emergency assistance is required.
The main danger of internal lipomas that are damaged is that the contents can spread into the peritoneal space. This can provoke the spread of fat cells, which will lead to the recurrence of tumors, and the localization of the formations will increase.
If the tumor bursts, the person must take all steps to disinfect the tissue. Tumors located, so to speak, “outside,” must be bandaged so that dangerous bacteria from clothing and the external environment do not enter it. The next important step is to see a doctor. Ignoring medical help means signing up for complications that will soon appear.
If the growth opens in the abdominal space, you must immediately call emergency help. In a hospital setting, the patient will undergo surgery. The remaining fatty tissues will be cut out and adjacent tissues will be cleaned. If necessary, the removed wen will be sent for histological examination.
Diagnostics
Accurate diagnosis allows you to exclude the possibility of a malignant tumor. To determine the nature of the cyst, the dermatologist prescribes histology. Based on its results, a final diagnosis is made.
The surgeon can identify atheroma by external signs during examination of the patient. It is characterized by the presence of a black dot on the surface of the formation and clear boundaries upon palpation.
The presence of multiple cysts is called atheromatosis and is subject to complex therapy.
Origin of steatoma.
Clogging of the sebaceous glands of all layers of the skin can occur for several reasons:
.
The accumulation of sebum due to disruption of its natural outflow causes the appearance of wen and atheroma of the scalp. Intense sweating does not give the body the opportunity to clean deep pores in time, which causes them to become clogged with excess sweat and sebum.Horny skin that is not exfoliated on time can serve as a provocateur for the occurrence of atheroma due to clogging of sebaceous flows.
Increased division of skin cells and their accumulation, as a result of trauma to the deep layers of the skin, thickens the epidermis over time, thereby causing compaction with disruption of natural metabolic processes.
Hormonal imbalance in the body provokes changes in the functioning of the sebaceous glands. If the production of secretory fluid is increased, this leads to the occurrence of atheroma.
Lack of hygiene procedures and abuse of cosmetics also cause contamination of the sebaceous glands, causing benign lumps.
Highly hazardous conditions in the workplace most often cause steatoma due to prolonged exposure to chemicals on the skin.
Typically, atheroma is localized in those areas of the body where sweating is increased: nose, forehead, chin, scalp, inguinal and axillary areas, back, neck and others.
Symptoms of the disease.
Signs that a lump in the skin is atheroma usually looks like this:
1. A tumor that protrudes somewhat from the smooth surface of the skin.
2. The seal has a round shape to the touch with clear boundaries.3. When palpated, the wen has a movable position.
4. The exit point of the sebaceous duct may not be visible.
5. There is usually no pain.
Atheroma, as a type of cystic formation, can be either a single case or multiple lesions of the skin layers. In principle, steatoma does not pose any health hazard, but it does give a feeling of discomfort. Can atheroma cause suppuration of the skin? Yes, it is quite. The old seal, which has no outlet, continues to be clogged with a new number of cells, thereby causing an intensification of the clinical picture. The skin turns red and swells, the temperature in the area of suppuration rises, and painful sensations occur. Thus, simple atheroma can lead to an abscess, which is removed surgically.
Treat or observe?
Before asking the question: can atheroma resolve on its own, you must definitely visit the clinic. This needs to be done for several reasons:
.
Clarify the diagnosis so as not to miss the initial stage of a more severe malignant disease. Prevent the adverse effects of self-treatment.
At the clinic, the doctor will first examine the tumor to determine its size. And if the steatoma is small, then most likely the prescriptions will contain an anti-inflammatory ointment or cream. If the atheroma has grown to large sizes, you should not hope for the self-destruction of the neoplasm. Such fatty tissues do not resolve on their own and require mandatory medical treatment. Most often, atheroma must be surgically removed using modern techniques: laser therapy, radio irradiation or surgical resection. Such operations do not leave scars, but they relieve the body of the negative consequences of suppuration.
Treatment
When the atheroma festers, its treatment consists of surgery. The formation is removed entirely in two approaches.
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If inflammation is present, then before surgical resolution of the atheroma, the tumor is opened and its entire contents are removed. Doctors resort to education therapy at this stage using a laser or radio wave knife.
To treat a suppurating atheroma, an extremely serious approach is required than with the usual removal of a non-inflamed cyst. The operating surgeon follows the following sequence:
- opening of an abscess;
- cleansing the capsule of all its contents;
- washing an antiseptic solution;
- insertion of a small tube into the cavity, through which further disinfection and removal of pus is planned;
- treating the wound with antiseptics;
- applying a gauze bandage.
With this method, sutures are not placed at the incision site. After surgery, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics if necessary.
But there is a problem with this procedure, which is that it is impossible to remove the entire cyst in one go. This is due to the fact that in the presence of inflammation it is impossible to find and remove the capsule.
Therefore, to begin with, only cleaning is performed, and after several months, with the complete disappearance of the inflammatory process, the second stage of the operation is performed. It consists of completely removing the capsule. If you neglect repeated surgery, then the risk of atheroma reappearing is extremely high.
After removal, the wound healing process begins. There may be a small scar at the incision site. The incision requires care; for this, the wound is treated with hydrogen peroxide twice a day, and a bandage with Levomekol is applied at night.
Experts advise seeking help in a timely manner to avoid suppuration. Cutting out a cyst in the early stages of its formation is safe and takes minimal effort.
It happens that treatment does not bring effect and atheroma appears again and again. Then you should see an endocrinologist; the cause of such relapses may be a serious malfunction in the functioning of the human endocrine system.
Relapse Prevention
Suppuration of atheromas can occur unexpectedly for a person and its therapy is extremely important. After treatment, you should be aware of the risks of relapse. To avoid such cases, we recommend following preventive rules:
- regular cleansing of pores using special cosmetics;
- carry out skin massages;
- Steam bath procedures will be useful;
- Regular use of masks and scrubs to cleanse the skin.
Pay attention to areas of the body with increased secretions of oily glands, including the scalp. To do this, use drying shampoos. Refrain from eating fried, fatty and salty foods, they can provoke the growth and formation of suppuration.
The prognosis of the disease will be favorable if you follow simple rules and do not delay treatment and examinations.
You should not rely on chance or folk remedies; in this case, only qualified help will help. The article has been verified by the editors
