Atheroma on the leg

Atheroma on the leg is diagnosed quite rarely, this is due to the fact that the lower limbs are not as rich in sebaceous glands as the back, neck, head or groin area.

In the classical sense, atheroma is a cystic neoplasm that forms as a result of obstruction of the sebaceous gland duct. Such atheroma can develop on almost any part of the body, except for the palms and feet, since there are no sebaceous glands in these areas. Atheroma on the leg is often mistaken for related tumors of atheroma - fibroma, lipoma or hygroma. The cyst does not cause discomfort, does not hurt and grows very slowly, sometimes remaining in the same size for decades. This is why atheroma should be clearly differentiated and a treatment plan should be made, which in 99.9% of cases is surgical.

Clinical signs of atheroma of the leg:

• The size of the cyst.
• Painful sensations upon palpation.
• Consistency of visual signs of atheroma during movement and walking.
• The presence or absence of hyperemia of the skin in the cyst area.
• The presence or absence of a traumatic factor that can contribute to the development of atheroma.

Sebaceous gland atheroma is treated surgically; most often, the operation is performed on an outpatient basis using minimally invasive techniques (laser, radio wave technology).

It should be noted that another disease not related to the skin or sebaceous glands can also be called atheroma. This is Atheroma of the arteries - a degenerative process, as a result of which specific fatty or scar plaques form on the walls of the vessels. Such blockage of the arteries leads to their narrowing and disruption of the normal flow of blood. Atheroma of the arteries is, by and large, a type of a common disease - atherosclerosis. Such arterial atheromas are removed using coronary revascularization, when blood flow is restored surgically - bypass (dilation of the coronary arteries). Vascular atheroma on the leg most often affects the calf muscles or thigh muscles.

[ 1 ], [ 2 ], [ 3 ], [ 4 ], [ 5 ], [ 6 ], [ 7 ], [ 8 ]

Atheroma on the thigh

There are very few sebaceous glands in the femoral part of the body, so atheroma on the thigh should be differentiated from lipoma, fibroma, hygroma. If the diagnosis of a sebaceous gland cyst is confirmed, treatment of atheroma of the thigh is usually carried out surgically. Conservative treatment is ineffective, since atheroma is essentially a non-functioning excretory duct that is obstructed by sebum. Even puncturing and squeezing out the contents of the cyst cannot neutralize the neoplasm itself, a dense capsule and the actual cause of atheroma formation remain. Atheroma on the thigh refers to benign tumor-like formations of the skin of the subcutaneous tissue, so there are usually no indications for emergency removal of the cyst, an exception may be a purulent, inflamed atheroma that causes pain and increases in size. Treatment tactics are always individual and depend on the clinical indicators of the cyst, however, its surgical or laser removal is inevitable.

In addition to the typical sebaceous gland cyst, there is also a type of thigh atheroma - steatoma. This is the same retention skin neoplasm, which has a capsule and contents in the form of a fatty secretion, but it is the final stage of cellulite development. Steatoma of the thigh is a large area of fatty tissue, completely braided with protein fibers in the form of a kind of honeycomb. Such bumpy, tumor-like protrusions not only represent a cosmetic defect, but also significantly affect the normal blood supply to the thigh tissue. Treatment of cellulite in the final stage and in a similar form deserves a separate detailed description, we will only note that thigh atheroma in this form is not treated surgically. The therapy is carried out for a long time, using a whole range of measures and procedures, including both conservative and surgical methods.

[ 9 ], [ 10 ], [ 11 ], [ 12 ], [ 13 ]

Atheroma of the leg

The part of the leg, lower limb, shin (crus) is divided conditionally into the front and back zones; there are many more sebaceous glands in the back zone, therefore any tumor-like formation most often forms there.

It should be noted that atheroma of the lower leg is a very rare phenomenon, since the subcutaneous tissue in this area is poorly developed, the alveolar glands are practically not represented, that is, there is virtually no place for the formation of a true retention subcutaneous cyst. Often, fibroma, lipoma, hygroma, fibrous histiocytoma are mistaken for atheroma, which are somewhat similar to atheroma in clinical manifestations, but differ in histological structure and are treated differently.

An atheroma as a cyst of the glandulae sebacea duct develops quite slowly, it does not hurt, does not manifest itself in changes in the skin, but is prone to frequent inflammation and suppuration. On the shin, an atheroma can appear as a result of a bruise, as well as near a postoperative scar, when the patency of the sebaceous glands is impaired. If the diagnosis confirms that the neoplasm is an atheroma, it must be removed surgically or with a laser. The operation is performed in the so-called "cold" period, that is, when there are no symptoms of an inflammatory process or abscess. Excision of the cyst is performed under local anesthesia, most often on an outpatient basis. Removal of a retention cyst of the sebaceous gland belongs to the category of minor surgery and is not difficult. Recurrence of atheroma of the lower leg is possible only in cases of poor-quality enucleation of the formation, as well as during surgery on a suppurating cyst, when, as a result of inflammation, the tissues surrounding the capsule melt, and it is not possible to clearly determine the boundaries of the excision.