Overview

Angiomyolipoma (AML) is a rare benign kidney tumour comprising blood vessels, smooth muscle, and fat tissue. Often found incidentally, AMLs can grow and potentially cause pain or bleeding. While most are non-cancerous, some may require treatment, particularly in cases of large or symptomatic tumours, through surgical intervention or embolisation.

In this article, you'll learn about the types, causes, symptoms, and treatment options for angiomyolipoma kidney.

Types of Angiomyolipoma Kidney

Depending on what type of tissue and cells the tumour contains, the angiomyolipoma kidney can be divided into three types, which are —

- Classic or Triphasic AMLs: Classic or Triphasic AMLs have a tumour with smooth muscle tissue, fat, and blood vessels.
- Monophasic AMLs: Monophasic AMLs contain only one type of tissue in the tumour. For example, the whole tumour consists of only fat, blood vessels or muscle tissue.
- Epithelioid Angiomyolipomas: When the whole tumour is made out of the kidney's blood vessels, called epithelioid cells, it is called Epithelioid Angiomyolipomas. These kidney tumours have the most chance of developing into something cancerous.

Causes and Risk Factors of Angiomyolipoma Kidney

There are no evident causes of angiomyolipoma kidney, but researchers have put forth a theory of certain gene mutations to blame for this issue. Renal angiomyolipoma is caused by the mutation of the tumour suppressor genes – TSC1 and TSC2. These two genes help control the size and growth of the cells by producing tuberin. As a result of the mutation, the tuberous is affected, failing to control the cell's growth, causing a tumour.

Symptoms of Angiomyolipoma Kidney

Typically, there are no symptoms for angiomyolipoma kidney, and it might not require treatment as well. However, in some cases, the patient might see —

- Blood in their urine
- UTI (urinary tract infection)
- Pain in one side of the upper belly or Flank pain
- Kidney failure
- Low red cell count or Anaemia
- A lump/mass

It is rare but there are instances where an angiomyolipoma kidney can cause life-threatening bleeding. In those cases, doctors identify those angiomyolipoma kidneys as renal angiomyolipomas.

[caption id="attachment_23205" align="alignnone" width="1000"]

Angiomyolipoma in the left kidney[/caption]

Most of the time, if someone has symptoms, that will lead them to have potentially life-threatening or spontaneous bleeding. However, the percentage of that happening is really low, 15%, as the bleeding from the haemorrhage leads to shock for every 1 out of 3 people.

Treatment of Angiomyolipoma Kidney

Many people with angiomyolipoma kidney don't require treatment, but mostly, it depends on the symptoms and size of the tumour and if you're trying to conceive. You will likely check your tumour once a year, and when the growth becomes more than four centimetres, your doctor might recommend you either get rid of it or they might provide you with some treatments, which are —

- Arterial Embolization. This minimally invasive procedure blocks blood flow to a tumour or damaged tissue by injecting small particles or materials into the arteries, often used to treat kidney tumours, uterine fibroids, and more.
- Partial Nephrectomy. It involves surgically removing only the diseased portion of the kidney while preserving healthy tissue, a preferred option for small kidney tumours, minimising the risk of kidney function loss.
- Ablation Therapy. Ablation techniques such as radiofrequency or laser therapy destroy tumours or abnormal tissue using heat or cold, often used when surgery is not an option or for small, localised cancers.
- Complete Nephrectomy. This surgical procedure removes the entire kidney, often necessary for larger tumours or when cancer has spread beyond the kidney. It can be performed through open surgery or minimally invasive techniques.

There are a few complications or negative side effects of the angiomyolipoma kidney treatment (be it after surgery or angiomyolipoma therapies), including bleeding, scars and infections.

Sometimes, you might face kidney failure after you have gone through the angiomyolipoma kidney removal surgery. Still, your doctor will discuss all the risks with you before you opt for any surgery.

Even if you happen to have kidney failure, your healthcare provider might have some plans to treat your later symptoms and manage your risks.

When to Consult a Doctor

You can also get in touch with the expert Urology doctors at Narayana Healthcare based in your city to get immediate attention and medical support during injuries, health disorders or any other health concern.

Conclusion

Angiomyolipoma kidney is such a condition that you don't have a permanent solution unless you remove it completely. It is a lump of tumour formed in the kidney primarily due to an unknown reason or genetic mutation. You might not feel any symptoms of angiomyolipoma kidney, but your doctor might recommend checking it yearly to observe its growth. If you have the symptoms provided above, discuss the next step of the process with your doctor.

FAQs

Q. How do you reduce angiomyolipoma kidney? A. Early studies suggest that Everolimus effectively reduces hereditary angiomyolipomas and controls the growth of the tumour. However, recent studies have shown that the common sporadic angiomyolipomas might not be affected by Everolimus.

Q. Which food should you avoid if you have angiomyolipoma kidney? A. Foods such as fast food or processed food are a complete no-no. Potato, salt and different types of meats are also prohibited if you have an angiomyolipoma kidney. For patients with this disease, potassium and salt are harmful.

Q. Will the angiomyolipoma kidney go away on its own? A. If the angiomyolipoma kidney is being treated, the condition will most likely remain similar, or the tumour will shrink in size, but it will not completely disappear.

Q. What are the different treatment options available for Angiomyolipoma kidney? A. The different treatment options available for angiomyolipoma kidney are

- Arterial Embolisation
- Partial Nephrectomy
- Ablation therapy
- Complete Nephrectomy

Reference Link

- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/angiomyolipoma-of-kidney
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22415-angiomyolipoma-of-the-kidney