Symptoms of Hamartoma

Due to the hidden nature of many diseases and the lack of obvious symptoms, it is difficult for us to detect them in our daily lives. They can only be discovered through comprehensive and systematic examinations. Therefore, it is very important to remind everyone to have regular physical examinations, which can nip the disease in the bud. Today, I will talk about the symptoms of hamartoma.

The term hamartoma was first proposed by Albrecht in 1904. Most scholars have always believed that hamartoma is not a true tumor, but an incorrect combination and arrangement of normal tissues within an organ. This disordered change in the number, structure or maturity of organ tissue will grow slowly with the development of the human body and rarely become malignant. The composition of hamartomas is complex. Most are tumor-like deformities formed by abnormal development of normal tissues, and a few are mesenchymal tumors. Fat and calcification are characteristic manifestations of most hamartomas. Popcorn-like calcification is common in pulmonary hamartomas. Twenty percent of renal hamartomas are combined with tuberous sclerosis. Liver hamartomas are mostly cystic and solid masses. Intrahepatic bile duct hamartomas are multiple irregular small cysts. Chest wall hamartomas contain bone-like density and mixed calcification foci. Hypothalamic hamartomas show a silly smile.

Pulmonary hamartomas are usually single, and multiple cases are extremely rare. There have been no reports in China. Most single hamartomas are intraparenchymal, and intrabronchial types are extremely rare. They are more common in the right lung than in the left lung, and more common in the lower lobe than in the upper lobe. Some occur in the right middle lobe and the lingular segment of the left upper lobe. Most hamartomas grow in the peripheral part of the lung, close to the visceral pleura of the lung, and sometimes protrude from the surface of the lung. Therefore, there are generally no clinical symptoms and no positive signs on physical examination.

Most patients with hamartomas have no symptoms. The main reasons for the symptoms are mostly related to the location, size, number, growth rate, and relationship between the hamartoma and surrounding organs. During the physical examination, it is often found that some patients may have the following symptoms due to the tumor itself, increased pressure in the tumor, infection, etc.:

① Discomfort or pain in the waist and abdomen: The reason is that the enlarged and expanded kidneys increase the tension of the renal capsule, pull the renal pedicle, or compress adjacent organs. In addition, the large size of the renal hamartoma causes the kidneys to become heavy, which can also cause lumbar pain. The pain is characterized by dull pain, fixed on one side or both sides, radiating to the lower body and lower back. If there is bleeding in the tumor or secondary infection, the pain will suddenly intensify. If combined with stones or blood clots after bleeding that block the urinary tract, renal colic may occur.

②Hematuria: It can be manifested as microscopic hematuria or macroscopic hematuria. The attack is cyclical. The back pain often intensifies during the attack. Vigorous exercise, trauma, and infection can induce or aggravate it.

③Abdominal mass: Sometimes it is the main reason for patients to seek medical treatment. 60% to 80% of patients can feel enlarged kidneys.

④ Proteinuria: Generally, the amount is not much, and will not exceed 2g in 24 hours. Nephrotic syndrome will not occur.

⑤ Hypertension: The tumor compresses the kidneys, causing renal ischemia, increasing renin secretion, and causing hypertension. When renal function is normal, more than 50% of patients have hypertension, and the incidence of hypertension is even higher when renal function is impaired.

⑥ Decreased renal function: Due to the tumor's space occupation and compression, the normal renal tissue is significantly reduced and renal function progressively declines.

It can be seen that the early symptoms of hamartoma are not obvious, so it is very important to have regular physical examinations. I wish you good health!