What Is Abdominal Mass?

An abdominal mass is an abnormal accumulation of tissue in the abdominal cavity. The abdominal cavity, sometimes known as the belly, is the internal compartment between the chest and the pelvis. Large or tiny abdominal tumors might be benign or malignant (cancerous), curable or untreatable. Hamartomas and cysts, which are solid and fluid-filled collections of normal cells, are examples of small benign abdominal tumors. Cancer, abscess, and abdominal aortic aneurysm, a life-threatening growth of the aorta within the belly, are examples of dangerous abdominal tumors.

In the pediatric age group, abdominal masses are fairly prevalent. Because of the vast amount of development space provided by the peritoneal cavity, many masses will grow quite large before being detected. It can be found in the right upper quadrant, right lower quadrant, left upper quadrant, left lower quadrant, epigastric, which is located just below your ribcage in the center of your abdomen, and periumbilical, which is situated around your belly button. Due to mass effect on nearby structures or accompanying symptoms such as pain, masses are brought to medical attention once they have grown large enough to palpate or be observed externally. Based on the location of the mass and your symptoms, your doctor will be able to narrow down the possible reasons. One of the most important aspects of evaluating a patient with an abdominal tumor is determining whether the patient has a condition that requires urgent or emergent action. A comprehensive approach to the management of the child with an abdominal tumor is desirable, regardless of presentation.

Causes of Abdominal Mass

Abdominal masses can be due to a variety of factors; let’s look at some below.

Cysts

Cysts are little sacs that can appear anywhere on the body. They can be filled with semi-solid or a liquid substance. They are almost seldom malignant and can be in rare cases. Ovarian cysts, Pancreatic pseudocysts (a fluid-filled sac but not a real cyst), Pancreatic abscess (a type of infected cyst), Pancreatic abscess (a type of infected cyst), and a Peritoneal inclusion (a benign harmless cyst) are examples of cysts that can produce abdominal masses.

Inflammation of the Gallbladder

Cholecystitis is the medical term for this illness, and gallstones obstructing a duct are the most common cause. Cholecystitis is a condition that can be either acute or chronic. Acute cholecystitis is characterized by intense pain in the upper abdomen. Chronic cholecystitis is a long-term condition that damages the gallbladder. In either instance, your gallbladder will most likely be removed.

Cancers

Colon cancer, stomach cancer, liver cancer, kidney cancer, neuroblastoma, a kind of cancer that frequently affects children, gallbladder cancer, uterine sarcoma, and endometrial cancer are all malignancies that can create an abdominal mass.

Crohn’s Disease

Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel illness. Chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a symptom of this form of inflammatory bowel disease. All of the organs involved in digestion are referred to as your GI tract. Crohn’s disease can strike any portion of your body, however, it usually affects the end of the small bowel and the beginning of the colon.

Uterine Fibroids

Fibroids can range in size from large enough to distend a woman’s uterus. These are noncancerous uterine growths that affect the majority of women at some point during their reproductive years. Periods that last more than a week, excessive bleeding during your period, pressure in your pelvic area, soreness in your back or legs, constipation, and frequent urination are some of the symptoms you may experience.

Enlarged Liver

The liver is normally hidden below your right rib cage and unnoticed. If your doctor detects it, you may have hepatomegaly. This is a liver that is significantly larger than usual. It can be caused by a variety of illnesses, including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, alcoholic liver disease, gallbladder or bile duct blockage, leukemia, lymphoma, and other cancers, heart failure, an obstruction in the liver’s draining veins, and cancer of the liver.

Aortic Aneurysm in the Abdomen

The aorta is your body’s major blood vessel. It travels through the center of your chest and belly from your heart. An aneurysm is a weak area in the wall of an artery that bulges. A ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm poses a serious risk of death.

Fibroids in the Uterus

Fibroids can range in size from large enough to distend a woman’s uterus to tiny. These are noncancerous uterine growths and they can affect the majority of women at some point during their reproductive years.

Symptoms of Abdominal Mass

If you have an abdominal mass, you may not experience any symptoms. It’s possible that your doctor will detect it during a routine checkup. You might experience symptoms like these, depending on what’s causing it:

• Pain in the abdomen
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Your rectum is bleeding.
• Urine with blood in it
• Weight loss
• Abdominal distention

An abdominal abscess can sometimes be an indication of a life-threatening disease that requires rapid evaluation in an emergency room. If you or someone you’re with is experiencing any of the following life-threatening symptoms, seek medical help at once.

• Rapidly increasing abdominal mass
• A pulsating mass in the abdomen
• There’s a new abdominal mass, and it’s accompanied by a lot of pain

How to Diagnose Abdominal Mass

If your doctor discovers an abdominal lump, you’ll almost certainly need more testing to figure out what’s causing it. These can include the following:

• Blood tests
• Urinalysis
• Ultrasound of the abdomen
• A computed tomography (CT) scan
• An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan

How to Treat Abdominal Mass

Medications, surgery, or specialist care may be used to treat the mass, depending on the cause. Medications to adjust hormones, surgical excision of the mass, procedures to decrease the mass, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy are the most common treatment options for abdominal masses. If you have huge cysts in your belly that are causing you pain, your doctor may recommend surgery to remove them. Tumors are sometimes removed surgically.

To decrease the mass, chemotherapy or radiation therapy may be recommended. Once the mass has shrunk in size, your doctor may decide to stop the chemotherapy and have the mass surgically removed. This procedure is frequently utilized in the treatment of malignant abdominal tumors. Hormone replacement therapy or low-dose hormone birth control pills can be used to treat masses induced by hormonal changes, such as ovarian cysts.

Potential Complications of an Abdominal Mass

An abdominal mass might be a minor problem that is easily treated, or it can be a significant and life-threatening emergency. As the origins of abdominal mass vary so much, so do the consequences and prognoses. Failure to seek treatment for an abdominal tumor, which might be caused by serious diseases, can result in significant complications or irreversible harm. Once the underlying cause has been identified, it is critical that you stick to the treatment plan that you and your health care expert have created specifically for you to avoid consequences such as:

• Ascites (fluid accumulating within the abdominal cavity)
• Perforation of the gastrointestinal tract and sepsis
• Incontinence
• Infertility as a result of irreversible injury to the reproductive tract
• Kidney injury that is permanent
• Damage to the liver that is permanent
• Damage to the pancreas that is permanent
• Aortic aneurysm rupture

Now that you Know…

A wide range of illnesses and disorders can result in abdominal masses. Abdominal masses can be caused by an accumulation of new tissue (a tumor), fluid, a bowel blockage, bacterial infection, fungal infection, parasite infection, organ expansion, or entrapment. Because the causes, treatments, and risks vary so much, it’s critical to have any abdominal tumor evaluated by a doctor as soon as possible. Also, note that abdominal mass can also affect children, and sometimes it can go unnoticed. Paying attention to your child is crucial in order to detect any abnormalities in behavior or physical changes around the abdomen.