Contents
Parenchyma is translated from Greek as “filling mass”, in medicine it means the totality of the main functioning elements of the internal organ that perform its specific function.
Diffuse changes in the parenchyma indicate a change in the tissue inside the organ. In fact, diffuse phenomena constantly occur in the human body.
What organs can be affected by diffuse changes?
pancreas
thyroid gland
Kidneys
Liver
Causes of diffuse changes in the parenchyma
During eating and in the process of breathing, substances penetrate into the organs and their tissues, connect with each other, providing cells with oxygen and nutrients. As soon as any violation occurs, the density and composition of the tissue changes, various diffuse seals appear. Changes in the parenchyma, for example, of the pancreas, can be caused by hormonal levels, which leads to metabolic disorders in the body.
This diagnosis can be made to people suffering from obesity, diabetes and age-related changes. Various metabolic-dystrophic diseases of the pancreas contribute to the development of diffuse changes in the parenchyma, which leads to the replacement of the parenchyma with adipose tissue. The parenchyma of any organ, especially the liver and pancreas, can be affected by heredity, smoking, metabolic disorders, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
The main culprits are, of course, malnutrition and alcohol. Diffusion of changes is not a full-fledged diagnosis, but the possibility of health hazards cannot be ignored, so the diagnosis should be carried out as extensively as possible. Moderate diffuse changes occur after suffering any diseases, such as SARS, poisoning. During ultrasound diagnostics, diffuse changes in the liver and pancreas parenchyma are very often detected. These changes represent a uniform change in tissue density over the entire inner surface of the organs. Diffuse changes in the parenchyma of these two organs are most often combined, if liver diseases are detected, then pancreatitis of the pancreas will certainly be diagnosed.
Symptoms of changes in the parenchyma of organs
The clinical picture of the manifestation of diffuse changes in the parenchyma of organs may not appear. Sometimes complaints of patients are limited to sensations of discomfort, a feeling of heaviness in the area of organs and other unpleasant phenomena. Nausea, dizziness, and lack of appetite may occur.
Diagnostics of the parenchyma of organs
With the help of ultrasound, a specialist can see a change in the homogeneity of the parenchyma, an increase or decrease in the density of the tissue of an organ, and foci of inflammation. And in order to clarify why the organ has a diffuse thickening of the parenchyma, you need to undergo an additional examination.
Whether there is an inflammatory process can be found out from the results of a biochemical blood test, and an endoscopic examination provides information about the state of the tissue that is not visible under x-rays. After analyzing the data of all the diagnostic procedures performed, the doctor will be able to make a final diagnosis, according to which treatment will be prescribed.
Increased echogenicity of the parenchyma
One of the main indicators of the examination using an ultrasound machine is the echogenicity of the tissue, the results obtained allow us to assess the degree of density of the parenchyma of the internal organs. For example, increased echogenicity of the pancreas means an inflammatory process or the presence of edema. In the normal state, the echogenicity of the pancreas has a homogeneous structure.
In any form of pancreatitis, the echogenicity of the pancreatic parenchyma increases, the normal process of digestion is disrupted, and serious health problems arise. With inflammatory processes and significant edema of the liver parenchyma, its echogenicity decreases.
Treatment of changes in the parenchyma of organs
Diffuse changes themselves are not treated. It is necessary to determine the cause of the malfunction of the organ that causes them, eliminate it and begin rehabilitation therapy. Changes can be caused by bad habits, malnutrition. Therefore, firstly, you will have to change your usual lifestyle and, secondly, start taking medicines that your doctor will prescribe.
parenchyma calcification
Calcification is a site of accumulation of calcium salts of different sizes in organs and tissues. The formation of calcifications is a residual phenomenon of the transferred inflammatory process. Often calcifications are found in the lungs after pneumonia or tuberculosis. Their presence in the kidneys may be due to pyelonephritis or glomerulonephritis.
In the kidneys of athletes, the formation of calcites is a consequence of the consumption of large amounts of protein. In women, calcifications can be found in the mammary gland, this may indicate the initial stage of a malignant tumor.