What is hypoplasia? Causes, symptoms, treatment of hypoplasia
Hypoplasia is the underdevelopment of an organ or tissue. This is a common and main feature of the pathology, it can be hypoplasia of the kidneys, brain or hypoplasia of a segment of the right or left vertebral artery.
Underdevelopment of individual organs is most common in humans. For example, the brain may be affected, but not the entire central nervous system, or one lung without involvement of the second and upper respiratory tract.
This pathology occurs due to a failure during intrauterine development. The most common direct causes of hypoplasia are:
- failure during the primary implantation of germ cells;
- incorrect intrauterine location of the fetus;
- a small amount of amniotic fluid;
- harmful habits of the expectant mother - smoking, alcohol and drug use (they most often cause hypoplasia of the brain);
- infectious diseases of a woman during pregnancy;
- abdominal injuries of a pregnant woman;
- effect of physical factors - increased temperature, irradiation;
- effect of toxic compounds and harmful metabolic products.
Hypoplasia is not always detected in time. The success of diagnosis depends on the degree of underdevelopment and on which organ is affected. Thus, an examination by an experienced specialist is often enough to detect signs of tooth enamel hypoplasia in a child. And for the diagnosis of underdevelopment of the kidneys, additional instrumental examination methods are required.
Underdevelopment of the whole body is called dwarfism.
Underdevelopment of the central nervous system. Hypoplasia of the brain
Intrauterine underdevelopment of the structures of the central nervous system is one of the most serious defects that affects the functioning of the entire body after the birth of a child.
Underdevelopment of CNS structures can be guessed by the symptoms, which appear almost from the moment of birth. Thus, with hypoplasia of the cerebellum, which is responsible for the coordination of movements, the child has dyscoordination and deterioration of muscle tone. And when she starts to walk, there is a violation of balance. Hypoplasia of the corpus callosum, which is responsible for the coordinated work of both hemispheres, can cause a wide variety of consequences. First of all:
- muscle spasms;
- convulsions;
- violation of skin sensitivity and body temperature regulation;
- deterioration of auditory and visual memory.
Brain hypoplasia (or microcephaly) is a proportional underdevelopment of all its structures. In early childhood, such a disorder is manifested by a delay in growth and development, in later life by serious intellectual disorders.
Underdevelopment of the organs of the cardiovascular system
It mainly manifests itself from the side of blood vessels. It can occur in any segment of the cardiovascular system. The lack of development of smaller vessels is compensated by the fact that there are many of them. Hypoplasia of large vessels is more dangerous due to more serious consequences: the underdevelopment of the vessel provokes early violations on the part of the organ that it supplies with blood.
Heart hypoplasia is not so common and is usually manifested by underdevelopment of one of the atria or ventricles.
Underdevelopment of the organs of the endocrine system
Hypoplasia of any of the organs of the endocrine system, as well as hypoplasia of the structures of the central nervous system, has systemic significance, since many functions of the body depend on the hormones it produces. Thus, the underdevelopment of the adrenal glands provokes a failure in the production of thyroid hormones, without the participation of which normal metabolism and the state of immunity are impossible. Hypoplasia of the thyroid gland in women and men threatens with metabolic disorders. And underdevelopment of the pancreas, which produces insulin, can cause diabetes.
Underdevelopment of respiratory organs
Most often occurs in the form of underdevelopment of branches of partial (those that follow the main) bronchi and lung parenchyma - the lung or its lobe. One of the most important types of underdevelopment of the structures of the upper respiratory tract is hypoplasia of the nasal bone in the fetus. Its detection at the stage of intrauterine development is important for the diagnosis of some chromosomal abnormalities - primarily Down's syndrome.
Underdevelopment of the digestive system
It is mainly manifested by hypoplasia of the stomach (at the same time, the stomach has a reduced size, tubular shape, its parts are not differentiated) and underdevelopment of the pancreas (it is partial, with a decrease in the size of the organ and preservation of its structure, and complete, when the pancreas looks like in the bud).
When various departments of the digestive system are underdeveloped, nutrition suffers and, as a result, the growth and development of the body as a whole.
Underdevelopment of the genitourinary system
Underdevelopment of the genitourinary system manifests itself in the form of:
- kidney hypoplasia (possible variant of underdevelopment of one kidney and absence of the other);
- underdevelopment of the testicles in men and the uterus in women, which leads to impaired reproductive function.
During intrauterine development, a combination of both disorders is possible - from the urinary tract and the reproductive system.
In men, hypoplasia of the testicles can be accompanied by a decrease in the penis and scrotum. And in women, with hypoplasia of the uterus, the ovaries, fallopian tubes and external genitalia (clitoris, labia) may not undergo such changes.
The reproductive function of a woman depends on the degree of hypoplasia of the endometrium of the uterus - with an underdeveloped inner layer of the uterus, the fertilized egg cannot attach to the inner surface of this organ.
Treatment of hypoplasia: general principles
There is no pathognomonic treatment (directed against provoking factors and slowing down the development of the disease) - medicine takes the first steps in curing fetal diseases during intrauterine development. It is necessary to observe preventive measures (especially during pregnancy), which will help to prevent a failure in the establishment of organs and systems, which leads to a violation of the formation of tissues.
In the treatment of hypoplasia after the birth of a child and in adulthood, replacement therapy is practiced. Thus, with hypoplasia of the thyroid gland, accompanied by hypofunction, the patient is injected with thyroid hormones.
You can read more about the tactics and methods of treating hypoplasias on the website of our clinic https://dobrobut.com.
Related services:
Ultrasound examination
Obstetrician-gynecologist consultation during pregnancy
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