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?What causes an abdominal mass

An abdominal mass is an abnormal growth of cells in the abdomen. An abdominal mass causes visible swelling and may change the shape of the abdomen. A person with an abdominal mass may also experience weight gain and symptoms such as abdominal pain and bloating.

Types of abdominal masses are often described by where they occur. The abdomen is divided into four parts: upper right, lower right, upper left, and lower left. Abdominal masses can occur in any of the four quadrants. The epigastric and periumbilical are two other parts of the abdomen. The periumbilical is located below and around the belly button, and the epigastric is located above the belly button and below the ribs. Abdominal masses are often treatable. However, they may cause complications, depending on the cause of the mass.

?What causes an abdominal mass

Causes of Abdominal Mass

Abdominal masses can be caused by a variety of factors, including injury, cysts, benign tumors, cancer, or other diseases.

Cysts

Cysts are abnormal lumps in the body that are filled with water or other fluids. Cysts that commonly cause abdominal masses include:

Ovarian cyst: A cyst that forms in or around an ovary.

Cholecystitis: Often associated with gallstones (abnormal hard masses in the digestive fluid), which can block the bile ducts and cause inflammation of the gallbladder, preventing the bile from flowing out.

Diseases

Certain diseases may also cause abdominal masses. These diseases include:

Crohn's disease: An inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes inflammation of the digestive tract and its lining.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm: An enlargement or bulge of the large blood vessels that supply blood to the abdomen, pelvis, and legs.

Pancreatic abscess: A hollow, pus-filled mass in the pancreas.

Diverticolitis: Inflammation or infection of diverticula, which form in weak parts of the intestine.

Hydronephrosis: Enlargement of the kidney due to urine retention.

Enlarged liver.

Enlarged spleen.

Signs and symptoms of an abdominal mass.

Signs of an abdominal mass include:

Swelling in the area.

Pain in the abdomen.

Feeling of fullness in the abdomen.

Nausea.

Vomiting.

Unwanted weight gain.

Inability to urinate.

Inability to have a bowel movement.

Fever.

Abdominal masses may be hard, soft, firm, or movable.

How are abdominal masses diagnosed?

Imaging tests can be helpful in determining the type of mass. Imaging tests that are also commonly used to determine the size and location of a mass include:

Computed axial tomography (CAT) scan of the abdomen

X-ray of the abdomen

Ultrasound

When imaging tests are not enough, the doctor may want to take a closer look at the organs inside the abdomen, especially if the digestive system is involved. To do this, the doctor uses a small microscope on a tube-like structure. The tube is inserted into the large intestine and other organs of the digestive tract. This procedure is called a colonoscopy.

Blood tests may also be ordered to check hormone levels and the presence of infection in the body. Women with ovarian cysts should have a special imaging scan called a transvaginal ultrasound. Unlike an abdominal ultrasound, which shows the organs inside the body by sliding a probe across the abdomen, a transvaginal ultrasound is done by inserting a probe into the vagina. This allows the doctor to get a closer look at the uterus and ovaries.

Treatment of abdominal masses

Depending on the cause of the mass, treatment may be through medication, surgery, or specialized care. The more common treatment options for removing abdominal masses include:

Prescription of hormone medications to correct

Surgery to remove the mass

Effective methods to shrink the mass

Chemotherapy

Radiation therapy

If the cyst or mass inside the patient's abdomen is very painful and swollen, the doctor may prescribe surgery to remove the mass. However, if removing the mass is dangerous, methods to shrink it are on the agenda of the medical team.

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are methods that shrink the mass. Usually, after using these methods and the mass shrinks, doctors proceed to remove it. These two methods are usually prescribed for people with cancerous masses in the abdomen.

Lumps that are caused by changes in hormones, such as ovarian cysts, may be treated with hormone replacement drugs or low-dose birth control pills.

Complications of Abdominal Masses

Abdominal masses that press on and squeeze organs can damage these organs. If after treatment, the doctor finds damage to other organs, he or she may recommend surgery to correct them. If there are multiple masses in the abdomen, the patient may need various forms of treatment or surgery to remove the masses. Cancerous masses can come back after treatment.

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome may have multiple cysts on their ovaries, which can cause longer or heavier menstrual periods. Some of these cysts heal on their own, but others can grow large enough to require surgery to remove them.

What causes an abdominal mass?

An abdominal mass is an abnormal growth of cells in the abdomen. An abdominal mass causes visible swelling and may change the shape of the abdomen. A person with an abdominal mass may also experience weight gain and symptoms such as abdominal pain and bloating.

Types of abdominal masses are often described by where they occur. The abdomen is divided into four parts, the upper and right, lower and