The pancreas plays an important role in the human body. In the digestive system, it ranks second in size after the liver. It has several types of tissue and is located in the upper abdomen deep inside the abdominal cavity behind the stomach. If this organ is visualized, it is a slightly elongated formation, gray-pink in color, having in its structure such parts as:
- head;
- body;
- tail;
Not all people know about the existence of this organ in the body, however it performs significant functions:
- Intrasecretory. Lipocaine, glucagon and insulin hormones that regulate the level of sugar in the body are produced.
- Foreign-secretory. Isolates enzymes in the duodenum to improve digestion of food.
Types of magnification and diagnostics
Because of various diseases or other pathological disorders, the organ increases. Here we should distinguish:
- total increase in - all parts of the gland are proportionally and evenly enlarged in size;
- local - one part is enlarged, for example, a head or tail, while preserving the functions of other sections).
The main reason for the increase of the entire gland or some of its parts is the development of the inflammatory process( pancreatitis ).
Both an adult and a child can not be diagnosed on the basis of visual examination or palpation. Increased pancreas or not, can only be determined using diagnostic methods such as:
- MRI;
- US
- CT;
- scintigraphy.
Causes of total increase in
As mentioned above, total pancreatic enlargement implies a violation of the functions of the entire organ. There are several reasons why this pathology occurs:
- hereditary-abnormal development of the gland;
- chronic or acute forms of inflammation;
- blows and abdominal injuries;
- prolonged use of alcohol , poisoning it with surrogates or other toxic substances;
- calcium in the blood reaches high levels;
- dysfunction of the pancreatic blood supply;
- cystic fibrosis;
- biliary dyskinesia;
- is a peptic ulcer;
- infectious diseases in the body;
- autoimmune systemic diseases.
Causes of local increase
Most often, chronic or acute pancreatitis causes a local increase. This is due to the fact that the inflammatory process is most active in any part of the gland, which, in turn, causes an increase in the head or tail. There are other pathological conditions that can lead to such a disorder.
If we consider each part separately, then, for example, the tail may increase in size for the following reasons:
- pseudocyst in acute pancreatitis;
- presence of formation in the form of a stone in the virgus duct in the area of the gland's body;
- malignant tumors leading to local edema;
- cystic adenoma in the tail area, which develops from the glandular tissue and is a benign tumor;
- pancreatic abscess with a separate area of purulent formation in the tissue.
A number of factors that can cause a pancreatic head to grow:
- is a tumor-like formation of the small papilla of the duodenum( no pancreatic secret is indicated in its direct path);
- scar of the small papilla of the duodenum, as well as duodenitis, which is accompanied by an inflammatory process;
- all the rest are the same reasons as when increasing the tail.
Symptoms of the disease
Symptoms of manifestation in this pathology can be of different clinical severity. Depending on what provoking factor was the cause of this pathology, the symptoms are expressed either brightly or accompanied by a slow process. In inflammatory diseases, the clinical manifestation of lesions occurs quickly, but in tumors, on the contrary, the symptoms increase for a long time. Nevertheless, the general severity of this disease is accompanied by such a clinic:
- body temperature increase;
- nausea and vomiting;
- feeling of bitterness in the mouth;
- often repetitive belching;
- lack of appetite;
- pain localized in the upper abdomen with irradiation in the left arm or lower back;
- disorder of stools.
It should be noted that the pain can be noisy character of varying intensity. If such symptoms occur, the first thing to do is to consult a doctor. This condition can be a threat to human life and health. With timely treatment, many complications can be avoided.
What is the treatment and what should I do when I increase?
In this pathological condition it is necessary to follow the doctor's recommendations and eat properly. The main treatment is to eliminate the cause of the increase. So, for example, if the disorder is caused by an abscess or acute pancreatitis, conservative therapy or surgical intervention is used. Symptomatic treatment can be used to eliminate and alleviate symptoms of manifestation of pathology. An important point in this case is the observance of dietary nutrition based on Pevzner's diet No. 5 with the exception of fatty, salty, spicy and sweet. Therapeutic food recommended for use should consist of:
- low-fat meat;
- low-fat dairy products;
- vegetables and fruits;
- dried bread;
- water-based porridges from any groats;
- is not a sweet tea.
Proper nutrition can reduce the stress exerted during intensive treatment or after surgery. Do not forget that a diet is a non-finite result of the patient's actions. To reduce the likelihood of progression of the disease, you need to see a doctor for timely treatment and prevent complications.
