Removing atheroma: these are the options
Atheroma is a benign skin tumor that is harmless
to health. For purely medical reasons, you do not have to have the sebum
cyst removed. Most of those affected are cosmetically bothered by the bump
and want to have the atheroma removed. This is especially true if
the tumor has formed in a clearly visible place , for
example on the head or face.
Visually, the cyst quickly catches the eye, which is uncomfortable for
many. Even if the tumor causes a feeling of tension due
to its increasing size, becomes inflamed and painful, you should have
the atheroma removed - always by a doctor ,
not on your own!
Atheroma does not usually resolve on its own. Unless the blockage of the sebum goes
away. This is extremely seldom the case with small atheromas, and never
with larger ones. By the way, an atheroma doesn't just burst because it
grows very slowly. This gives the skin enough time to stretch with it.
Atheroma removal:
never do it yourself
The
important things first! No matter how annoying the atheroma is or if it
just looks like a pimple at first - you must never squeeze out an atheroma
yourself with your fingers or prick it with a sharp tool! Those who do
their own tinkering with the cyst run the risk of inflammation . Bacteria
and other germs can penetrate the injured skin. Then the skin swells,
becomes red and can cause quite a bit of pain. Always see a doctor who
will knowledgeably remove the atheroma. Atheroma treatment belongs in the hands of a specialist , because he works under
sterile conditions. This avoids the risk of infection, but also that the
atheroma grows again.
Remove atheroma - the
surgeon does it
The atheroma is best removed by a surgeon . He
cuts the lump out of the skin with a scalpel. As part of the atheroma
operation, he not only removes the contents of the cyst, but also peeled out
the capsule and the ducts of the sebum gland at the same time. No remnants
of the covering or ducts should be left in the skin, otherwise the chances are
high that the atheroma will grow back.
Surgeons remove small to medium-sized atheromas under local anesthesia (local
or regional anesthesia). In the case of larger or inflamed atheromas, the
removal is somewhat more complex and takes longer. Sometimes you will
need general anesthesia for this .
If the atheroma
becomes infected - treatment
Sometimes the atheroma becomes inflamed: then an abscess is formed and pus
accumulates. In this cases, it is even more important that you do not put
your hand on the atheroma yourself and try to express it. If the boil
bursts, bacteria can get into the bloodstream and
cause blood poisoning. This is especially dangerous if the atheroma is on
the head - the germs then possibly end up in the brain! If the atheroma is
inflamed and painful, the motto is always: off to the doctor!
If the atheroma is infected, the first thing doctors try to do is antibiotics to reduce the inflammation(work against
bacteria) to subside. This will prevent the infection from
spreading. In addition, the doctor tries to ripen the atheroma with
ointment - more precisely draft ointment - or heat. The pulling ointment
softens the skin, relieves pain and slows down inflammation. It
also reduces sebum production and ensures that
the abscess opens and drains faster.
If the atheroma is not inflamed, the pulling ointment is of little use:
although the atheroma shrinks because the secretion is emptied, the capsule
does not dissolve as a result. Again, it can only be removed surgically.
Then the surgeon carefully opens the atheroma, removes the pus and rinses it
with a disinfectant solution to remove all germs as possible. Only when
the inflammation has subsided after some time will the doctor remove all of the
atheroma in a surgical procedure. As after any operation, wound pain can
occur. The larger the atheroma, the more pronounced it can be because the
wound is larger. These complaints can be brought under control with
painkillers.
Remove atheroma - you
usually bear the costs yourself
From a medical point of view, an atheroma has no "disease
value". That means: The cyst may be unsightly and cosmetically
annoying, but not dangerous for your
health. Troublemakers have nothing to do with cancer anyway. The
health insurance companies usually do not cover the cost of atheroma removal
for aesthetic reasons
Symptoms: how to recognize an atheroma
You can tell that an
atheroma has formed on the skin by the following symptoms:
- Atheroma shows up
as a visible bump on the skin. It can be a few millimeters to
centimeters in size, but it can also swell up to the size of a chicken egg
or tennis ball
- The cyst is rounded
and feels plump and elastic
- Most often,
atheroma is found on the scalp
- The bump won't hurt
unless it's infected
- Larger atheromas
stretch the skin and cause a feeling of tension
- Sometimes a dark
point can be seen on the atheroma; this corresponds to the blocked
duct of the sebum
You can
recognize an inflamed atheroma by the following
signs:
- Pain in the atheroma and surrounding
tissues
- The skin is sensitive
to pressure
- Reddened
and swollen skin around
the atheroma
- The skin
feels hot to
Atheroma: The causes are often clogged sebum
glands
In many cases, the cause of atheroma
is a blocked sebum gland outlet. The sebum glands normally secrete fat and
ensure that the skin is supple and the hair is shiny. Dead skin cells or
dried sebum can block this duct. Then the sebum builds up because the
glands keep producing fat. However, there are only very small amounts per
day, which is why the atheroma only slowly increases in size.
In the case of real atheromas, there can even be groups of tumorsform. They
occur when cells from the top layer of skin are dispersed and block the place
where the hair grow out of the skin. The horny cells that are regularly
produced in the skin can no longer get out and accumulate - an epidermal cyst
is formed. The more horn material that accumulates, the larger the
atheroma becomes. Medical professionals assume that there is a genetic basis for
these atheromas. The tendency to atheromas is inherent in the skin from
birth.
In summary: never remove the atheroma yourself, always put yourself in the
hands of a doctor. This is especially true if the tumor has become
infected. A doctor can gently treat and remove the atheroma!
Atheroma definition: what variants are there?
An atheroma is a
benign cyst that is
encased in a capsule and usually forms near the hair
follicle. The hair is anchored in the skin via this hair
follicle. Atheroma usually develops when the duct of a sebum gland is
blocked. The cyst can be filled with various contents: sebum and / or
horny cells usually accumulate there.
The atheroma can gradually grow to a considerable size - some can grow to be
the size of a chicken egg or even a tennis ball. Colloquially, the
atheroma has the rather unattractive name “Grützpaket” . It
often grows on the head and interferes with combing hair. The bump can
also cause an uncomfortable feeling of tightness if it continues to grow.
Atheroma definition: real and false atheromas
Doctors often use the term
"atheroma" very inconsistently. Strictly speaking, the following
atheroma variants can be distinguished:
- "Real"
atheromas (epidermal
cysts) form on the hair follicles, but in the upper area at the point
where the hair emerges from the skin. They arise from cells in the
skin and subcutaneous tissue. The knots feel spherical, plump, and
elastic when you stroke them or press them gently. Epidermal cysts
usually do not have a visually recognizable excretory duct. Horn
cells and hair accumulate in the cyst; the contents smell unpleasant
when a doctor opens the atheroma. True atheromas often appear in
groups and can be inherited. Often the atheroma is on the head, back,
trunk, face, or on the upper arms and thighs.
- "Wrong"
atheromas(Trichilemmal
cysts), on the other hand, form on the lower part of the hair
follicles. The knots also feel firm, firm and elastic. False
atheromas arise when one or more sebum glands become clogged, for example
with detached skin cells or dried sebum. The fat no longer gets
outside and gradually accumulates in the tissue. The location of the
blocked duct can sometimes be seen as a black point. The cyst grows
slowly because the sebum glands only produce tiny amounts of fat every
day. Atheroma can develop almost anywhere on the body because hair
follicles and sebum glands run through the entire skin. Atheroma on
the head, neck, ear, chest, back, neck, face or genital area are not
uncommon. Atheroma can even appear on the testicle. Those
affected usually find this very uncomfortable.