Angiomyolipoma of the kidney: is it dangerous for life, causes, symptoms and treatment

How does the angiomyolipoma of the kidney develop , is it dangerous for life? This condition involves the involvement in the pathological process of a layer of fat, muscle tissue, as well as the epithelium of the kidney. The benign tumor consists mostly of a fatty layer.

As a rule, angiomyolipoma extends to the kidneys. The disease can affect a person of any age, but in older people it occurs much more often. The risk group includes people from 40 to 60 years old. It should be noted that cases of the disease are more often recorded in women. How serious is the disease and how is the kidney angiomyolipoma removed? The treatment and the danger that the disease brings will be described in this article. With timely-started therapy, pathology can be completely eliminated.

Types of the disease

Angiomyolipoma is a benign tumor in the kidney. The disease also received another name - "renal hamartoma." Neoplasm refers to the category of mesenchymal pathologies affecting soft tissues.

There are two forms of pathology: primary sporadic appearance and genetic disease.

In the first case, the tumor affects the body in itself, without genetic factors, and in the second case the leading role is given to heredity.

Also there is an absolutely separate disease Burnleville-Pringle, or tuberous sclerosis. With it, kidney damage is noted, but other symptoms are also noted.

In the case of tumor localization, a one-sided lesion is diagnosed in the left or right kidney. If the pathology is diagnosed in both kidneys, then the doctors speak of a two-sided form. One-sided form develops in 75% of cases.

In addition, angiomyolipoma can be typical and atypical.

In a typical form, the neoplasm mostly contains muscle tissue or the fatty layer, which is much more common in medical practice.

Atypical form of fat tissue is not. This makes therapy difficult. After all, adipose tissue is removed with minimal consequences. Also this form makes diagnosis difficult. In this case, the probability of an erroneous delineation of a benign neoplasm and a malignant tumor is great.

What is affected by the disease?

As a rule, in this disease, the brain and cortical layer of the kidney is involved in the pathological process. The tumor promotes the formation of a capsule, which fences off from healthy tissues.

What is fraught with such a disease as angiomyolipoma of the kidney (left and right kidney)? It is dangerous that sometimes it develops according to a special scenario. This happens with the parallel effect of negative factors, for example, incorrectly selected therapy or the presence of additional pathologies in the kidneys.

The neoplasm can germinate into the lower vena cava, the lymph nodes located next to, or the pericarpal stent. In some cases, vessels that can burst and provoke the appearance of hemorrhages are also affected.

Many are interested, angiomyolipoma than dangerous? Often, a vascular twisting is diagnosed. Thus, spirals arise, the ruptures of which can cause intense internal bleeding, which threatens the life of the patient. Blood enters the abdominal cavity and spreads into it. Vascular walls that contain muscle tissue become thick and round, as the muscle tissue is completely or partially degenerated into a connective. As a result, there are perforations that threaten an aneurysm and other dangerous complications.

Causes of the disease

The development of ailment can be caused by absolutely different causes.

A number of provocative factors can be considered:

• Pregnancy. The appearance of a tumor depends on the hormonal background. As you know, the woman during the gestation of the fetus increases the level of estrogen and progesterone, which can serve as an impetus for the development of the disease.
• Genetic basis. As mentioned above, this pathology can occur in the presence of Burneville-Pringle disease. This disease is genetic. Scientists have discovered genes that can be inherited.
• A variety of pathological processes in the kidneys, which along with other factors may well provoke the appearance of a tumor. Therapy in this case involves the elimination of all concomitant diseases.
• Manifestation of other neoplasms. For example, angiofibroma develops. This pathology occurs quite often. The disease described in the article begins to develop under its influence.

Symptomatics

How does kidney angiomyolipoma manifest itself? What is dangerous for this disease? With timely treatment, the disease can be completely eliminated. But the insidiousness of the disease lies in the fact that in the early stages of the symptomatology can be erased. Manifestations become apparent when the tumor grows.

A number of symptoms should be considered:

• A feeling of heaviness in the area of the left or right kidney, as well as the back. Unpleasant sensations can be noted in the abdomen and lower back. Pain may be traumatic, aching, or blunt. They are more intense in turns and other movements. This is due to local hemorrhages.
• Blood pressure jumps. They can occur for no apparent reason and often enough.
• An admixture of blood in the urine.

If the tumor becomes large, it can be detected by palpation.

Consequences of the disease

If therapy has not been performed in a timely manner, then the consequences that threaten the patient's life may arise. First of all, with rupture of blood vessels and the presence of bleeding, peritonitis may occur. With extensive hemorrhage in the abdomen there is a threat of death.

What is fraught with angiomyolipoma of the kidney? Is it dangerous for life in case it gets large? In this case, the tumor can exert pressure on neighboring organs, preventing their full-fledged work. For example, if the right kidney is affected, the appendix and even the liver are squeezed. Neoplasm can burst, which also carries a life threat.

Another major complication is necrosis or death. In this case, the kidneys just stop working.

Do not forget that a benign neoplasm can degenerate into a malignant tumor.

Diagnostics

Angiomyolipoma of the kidney (causes, symptoms, treatment described in this article) needs timely diagnosis. For effective therapy should be a competent examination.

In the first place, an ultrasound examination is recommended, which will help to identify the tumor. In a number of cases, it is advisable to carry out magnetic resonance imaging.

A high degree of effectiveness is possessed by an overall analysis of blood and urine. It is capable of displaying the state of the urinary system.

A biopsy method is also used. To determine the nature of the tumor from the kidney, the liquid is taken for examination by the method of surgery or puncture. This method makes it possible to diagnose the presence of oncology.

Use of medicines

There is evidence of high efficacy of some drugs that belong to the group of inhibitors. After a course lasting a year, in some cases, the tumor may decrease in size by a factor of two.

If there is a very rapid increase in angiomyolipoma, then resort to an operative method.

As for treatment by popular methods, it often does not give any results.

Operational methods

Whether the kidney angiomyolipoma is operated, is it dangerous for life if surgery is required? In some cases, it carries a threat and requires urgent removal.

Based on the results of diagnostic procedures, a specialist develops an individual therapy plan, which necessarily takes into account such important points as the stage on which the development of the tumor, its size and location.

In accordance with modern standards in the field of oncology, the tumor, whose diameter is more than 4 cm, is eliminated by a wait-and-see technique. This method is based on periodic monitoring of the patient's condition. The patient is shown to perform ultrasound and X-ray diagnostics once a year.

The size of a tumor larger than 4 cm requires radical treatment.

In addition to exceeding the threshold size, the indication for surgical intervention is:

• Expressed clinic of the disease with the progress of malignant symptoms;
• Rapid growth of the tumor;
• The presence of renal failure, which acquires a chronic course;
• Recurring hematuria.

In the practice of oncologists during surgery, the following methods are suggested:

• Resection of a specific part of the kidney, which is affected by a benign tumor. Such an operation is capable of retaining the organ.
• Embolization. With this method, a special apparatus is inserted into the artery. The artery feeds the angiomyolipoma. Such a tool helps to close the lumen of the vessel. This technique acts as a preparatory stage for surgical intervention. In rare cases, embolization acts as an independent method of therapy.
• Enucleation. During surgery, the surgeon removes the tumor without damaging the kidney tissues in the neighborhood.
• Cryoablation. This is an innovative method of eliminating neoplasm through exposure to low temperature. This method of treatment is used only for large tumor sizes.
• Absolute kidney resection. With a significant tumor size, the surgeon decides to completely remove the organ.
• Laparoscopy. This method involves the implementation of several punctures, which allow the body to enter the chamber and manipulators.

Forecast

Is angiomyolipoma dangerous? The prognosis and survival rate are positive. The tumor belongs to the category of benign tumors that are in the capsule. This explains the favorable outcome of treatment. In most patients, after surgery, complete recovery is observed.

Conclusion

How does the angiomyolipoma of the kidney, whether it is dangerous for life, has been described in this article. Pathology is one of serious diseases, but can be treated. The main thing is the diagnosis and the correct treatment.