Abdominal Cysts

Cyst is a closed sac containing fluid material, air and semi-solid material. It has a separate membrane and it may grow in various tissues of the body. Its outer wall is called capsule. They are abnormal formations on body tissues and are not a part of them. Usually, most cysts are benign and they go away on their own. Sometimes, cysts persist and they need to be removed surgically. Cysts are usually a result of blocked ducts, as well as other natural secretion outlets of the body. Very rarely can some cysts turn out to be a tumor. Cysts can vary in size from microscopic to ones which grow so big, that they displace other organs. Out of the various types of cysts that can occur in the body, this article will talk about abdominal cysts in particular.

Abdominal Cysts: Types
There are three main types of abdominal cysts which are:

• Mesenteric Abdominal Cysts: These occur in the mesentery which is a peritoneum double layer that covers the abdominal cavity's back wall. It extends over the duodenum and covers area up till the rectum. Peritoneum is a membrane that forms the stomach lining. These may be caused due to improper functioning of the lymphatic system. They are very rare and their incidence rate is about 1 in 140,00 people. Amongst children, the incidence rate of abdominal cyst is about 1 in 20,000.
• Omental Abdominal Cysts: These occur on the anterior part of the abdominal wall. They usually occur in the regions of stomach and colon. These too are very rare and can be mostly removed without surgery.
• Fetal Abdominal Cysts: This is a form of abdominal cyst, of usually a benign type, that occurs in neonatal infants and is usually found in ultrasound scan of the embryo before birth. This particularly occurs in a female fetus due to the elevated hormone levels and it dissolves after birth. Normally they are benign and do not require medical intervention unless they become big enough and threaten blood supply to the infant.

Incidence rate of mesenteric cysts is fourfold more likely than omental cysts. Another common form of cysts which develop in the region lower to the abdomen in females are ovarian cysts. They form on ovarian follicles and although they are benign, they could still cause pain, as well as bleeding. If they grow, they need to be removed surgically.

Abdominal Cysts: Symptoms
As I mentioned before, abdominal cysts can vary in size and they usually only get detected through ultrasound or sonogrpahy if they have really grown huge in size. They can grow to a size of 40 cm in diameter. When a cyst grows beyond proportion in size, it starts exerting pressure on the surrounding organs causing a lot of pain and discomfort. An Abdominal cyst may cause some chronic symptoms like a palpable abdominal mass, bleeding, vomiting, obstruction in the bowels and stomach distention.

Abdominal Cysts: Causes & Treatment
As mentioned before, abdominal cysts like the mesenteric and omental, can be caused by benign proliferation of abnormally positioned lymphatic components. They are supposed to originate from degenerated lymph sacs in the embryonic retroperitoneal tissue. A grown cyst can give rise to various complications and therefore, the only treatment is abdominal cyst removal through surgery. Most patients need intestinal resection or abdominal resection. In case, the abdominal cyst is malignant, surgical removal becomes even more necessary.

Hope this article has given you satisfactory information about abdominal cysts. To understand the occurrence of problems like abdominal cysts, one has to be in tune with the body. Do not hesitate to consult a doctor in case you have the slightest doubt. That way, health problems can be nipped in the bud, before they cause more complications.