Contents
What is a fibroma?
Fibroma is a benign tumor skin formation, usually flesh or light pink in color, with clear boundaries. It consists of connective or fibrous tissue and usually rises above the surface of the skin, located on a wide base or on a stalk. Does not cause pain to a person.
This tumor can be in a person from birth or form during life at any age and on arbitrary parts of the body, regardless of the person’s gender. Most often, neoplasms affect the soft tissues of the limbs and trunk, but often fibromas are found in internal organs and cavities.
Fibromas in the female body are able to grow into other tissues: vascular (angiofibroma), muscle (fibroma), glandular (fibroadenoma) or fatty (fibrolipoma). There are two types of fibroids: hard and soft. Solid fibroma occurs equally often in any part of the body, both in men and women. It is a sedentary protruding formation of the skin. Its color is usually flesh or light pink. More often, fibroma occurs on a wide stem, less often on a narrow one, has a smooth surface.
Soft fibroma predominantly occurs in women, especially in adulthood. The most common places of its formation are the armpits, inguinal zone, the front of the neck, and the mammary glands. Outwardly, a soft fibroma looks like a wrinkled leathery formation (pouch) of flesh or brown color on a pronounced pedicle. Fibromas can be single or multiple, called fibromatosis (overgrowth of connective tissue).
Reasons for the development of fibroma
The causes of fibroids to this day remain unexplored. One of the identified patterns is hereditary predisposition. Sometimes the cause is trauma or inflammation. Also, a neoplasm can occur with a hormonal failure in the body, provoked, for example, by protozoan parasites such as Trichomonas.
More than a hundred species of Trichomonas have been identified. They affect various human organs depending on their habitat: the genitourinary system, oral cavity, intestines, etc. Forming colonies, Trichomonas cause fibroids.
According to one version of experts, the cause of fibroids can also be the use of beta-blockers that change fibrous tissue. The likelihood of fibroids during pregnancy increases due to increased levels of progesterone and estrogen.
The reasons for the formation of uterine fibroids include chronic inflammation of the genital organs, abortion, intermittent sexual relations, difficult or late childbirth, stress, endocrine diseases, including diabetes mellitus.
Fibroma symptoms
Fibroma symptoms vary depending on the location of the tumor. The main symptom is the appearance of a growth that rises above the surface of the skin on a wide base or on a leg. In color, it may not differ from the skin, but over time, sometimes its color changes to light pink, and sometimes to dark brown due to regular mechanical impact (clothing, razor, etc.).
Usually fibroma does not cause pain, discomfort and anxiety to its owner and is regarded more as a cosmetic defect. However, in some cases, the tumor becomes sensitive and may itch or even hurt. This is due to its unfortunate location. For example, a plantar fibroma can cause pain while walking, and a mass on the neck can be regularly irritated by a shirt collar.
Fibroids formed on the internal organs often do not have symptoms, therefore they are discovered by chance or in case of any complications caused by its growth.
Fibroma diagnosis
To determine the diagnosis, the doctor conducts a visual examination and palpation of the growth. Comprehensive information on the benignity-malignancy of the tumor can be obtained after a biopsy (histological examination). In some cases, an ultrasound examination is required, for example, to diagnose fibroids of internal organs. Radiography is performed to clarify the root cause of fibroids in the oral cavity.
Fibroma treatment
Fibroids on the skin do not pose a threat to human life and health, so often they should not be treated at all. If the neoplasm is subject to regular friction, other influences due to its location, or simply has an unaesthetic appearance and spoils its appearance, then it is considered advisable to remove the tumor. Typically, this operation takes no more than fifteen minutes. It is performed under local anesthesia on an outpatient basis.
Plantar fibromas are removed if they cause severe pain when walking. Fibroma in the internal organs is removed if it disrupts the work of nearby organs. It depends on a number of reasons: the location, direction and rate of growth of the tumor, the number of fibromatous nodes, and so on.
The treatment is carried out with a laser or radio wave therapy. In rare cases, surgical excision is performed (with a strong growth of the neoplasm). Removal methods with liquid nitrogen and chemicals are a thing of the past. They are not used because they often cause local inflammation, and wounds from them heal for a long time.
Prevention of fibroids
As such, methods of preventing fibroids do not exist. Therefore, only general preventive methods can be noted. Namely, you should lead a healthy lifestyle and regularly undergo a medical examination by a dentist, gynecologist and other specialists for early detection of neoplasms.