Renal angiomyolipoma is a rare and benign tumor that affects the kidneys and is composed of fat, blood vessels and muscles. The causes are not exactly defined, but the appearance of this disease may be linked to genetic changes and other kidney diseases. Although angiomyolipoma is more common in the kidneys, it can happen in other organs of the body.
Most of the time, renal angiomyolipoma does not cause symptoms, but if it is larger than 4 cm it can cause bleeding in the kidneys and in these cases back pain, nausea, increased blood pressure and blood in the urine may appear.
The diagnosis usually happens by chance, after performing imaging tests to investigate another disease, and the treatment is defined by the nephrologist after checking the size of the angiomyolipoma in the kidneys.
Main symptoms
In most cases, angiomyolipoma does not cause any symptoms. However, when angiomyolipoma is considered large, that is, greater than 4 cm, it can generate symptoms such as:
- Pain in the lateral region of the belly; Urine with blood; Frequent urinary infection; Increased blood pressure.
In addition, symptoms are more frequent when this type of tumor causes bleeding in the kidneys. In such cases, symptoms may include a sudden drop in blood pressure, very severe abdominal pain, feeling faint and very pale skin.
How to confirm the diagnosis
To confirm the diagnosis of renal angiomyolipoma, the nephrologist may request some imaging tests such as angiography, ultrasound, computed tomography and magnetic resonance.
Tumors of renal angiomyolipoma are easier to diagnose when they are composed of fat, and in cases where there is a low fat content or hemorrhage making it difficult to see on imaging exams, the nephrologist may request a biopsy. Find out what it is and how the biopsy is done.
How the treatment is done
After performing the exams, the nephrologist will define the treatment according to the characteristics of the kidney lesions. When the renal angiomyolipoma tumor is less than 4 cm, growth monitoring is usually done with imaging exams annually.
The drugs most indicated for the treatment of renal angiomyolipoma are the immunosuppressants everolimus and sirolimus which, through their action, help to reduce the size of the tumor.
However, if the kidney angiomyolipoma is larger than 4 cm or if it causes more severe symptoms, embolization is usually indicated, which is a procedure to reduce blood flow and help reduce the tumor. In addition, surgery to remove the tumor and the affected part of the kidney may be indicated in order to prevent this tumor from rupturing and causing bleeding.
When renal angiomyolipoma generates bleeding symptoms such as drop in blood pressure, pale skin and fainting sensation, you must immediately go to the hospital to confirm the diagnosis and, if necessary, have emergency surgery to stop bleeding in the kidney.
Possible causes
The causes of renal angiomyolipoma are not clearly defined, but the onset is often associated with another disease, such as tuberous sclerosis. Understand what tuberous sclerosis is and its symptoms.
In general, renal angiomyolipoma can develop in anyone, but women can develop larger tumors because of female hormone replacement or hormone release during pregnancy.
