Children get sick and no one can get away from it. It is good if the illness passes quickly, but it also happens that he stays with the child for many years or even worse - for life. Happy are those parents who only know how colds and runny noses go. We will not talk about these troubles in the article, we will talk about such a disease as mastocytosis in children.
Briefly about the disease
The disease, at first glance, does not cause concern. But it is worth delaying with treatment, mast cells begin to accumulate in the child's body. Over time, a harmless disease can transform into a malignant form.
Mastocytosis is quite rare, most often children suffer from it. It affects not only the skin, but also other organs. About ninety percent of children with this disease suffer from urticaria pigmentosa. At the initial stage, if mastocytosis is diagnosed in children, treatment consists in the use of antihistamines. In this periodthe course of the underlying disease is necessarily monitored.
In seventy-five percent of cases, the disease occurs in children under three years of age and does not depend on the sex of the child. The etiology and pathogenesis have not yet been fully studied, and it is impossible to accurately name the cause of the onset of the disease. There is an opinion that sometimes the disease is transmitted in an autosomal dominant way.
Types of disease
Based on the characteristics of the disease, mastocytosis in children and adults has the following forms.
- Dermal, infancy. Seen in children up to three years of age. There is no damage to internal organs. Rashes on the skin completely disappear in puberty and do not appear in the future. With severe symptoms, correct, and most importantly, timely treatment is required.
- Skin mastocytosis in adolescents and adults. Damage to the internal organs is observed, but with this form it does not progress.
- System. Most often, this type of disease occurs in adults. There is a change in the skin, progressive damage to internal organs.
- Malignant form (mast cell leukemia). This form of the disease is almost always fatal. Mast cells change. They affect internal organs and tissues, especially bones and peripheral blood. It should be borne in mind that skin manifestations are most often completely absent.
Types of skin lesions
There are five types of skin lesions in the disease.
- Maculopapular mastocytosis in children. A photoclearly shows how the child looks during this period. The baby's skin is completely covered with small spots and red-brown papules.
- Multiple knotted type. There were many hard knots on the skin. They can be yellow, pink, red. Their diameter is about one centimeter, the shape is hemispherical.
- Mastocytomas (solitary node). A node appears. Its diameter is from two to five centimeters. It can be smooth or wrinkled. Solitary mastocytosis in children most often occurs in the trunk, forearms, and neck. Infants are most susceptible to this type of disease.
- Diffuse. Begins to disturb children from an early age. Yellow-brown lesions form on the skin. Most often they are localized in the armpits, between the buttocks. Cracks may appear on them.
- Teleangiectatic type. Rare in children.
Causes of the disease
As mentioned above, it is very difficult to answer what can provoke such a dangerous disease, since its etiology is unknown. But still, it is possible to identify the main causes that cause mastocytosis in children. Komarovsky divided them into groups based on the age of the child.
- Newborns. The cause of the disease can be called a food allergen. A doctor should be observed if the family has previously suffered from this disease.
- Toddler age (from one to three years). Contributes to the appearance of the disease contact with the environment.
- Preschoolers. In addition to all of the above reasons, an allergy totoys.
- Schoolchildren begin to get sick due to stress, psychological state, stress.
- Teenagers most often get sick after sweating profusely. One of the reasons is sports training.
Weak immunity should be attributed to the common factor causing the disease. And it will also be interesting to know: if several generations are ill in one family, it can be stated that the disease is hereditary in nature.
Disease symptoms
Mastocytosis in children, like any disease, has its own signs. Let's talk about them, although above, in the section "Types of skin lesions", we have already talked about the symptoms of the disease. But, as they say, it doesn't hurt to remember.
Besides the fact that a sick child is naughty, he does not want to play, he is always ready to be in his parents' arms, he also has:
- severe itching appears;
- body covered with red-pink spots;
- redness turns into blisters with clear or bloody fluid;
- rash spreads to torso, face, arms (if not treated promptly);
- baby's skin thickens and becomes yellowish.
The boundaries of the formations that have appeared are clearly defined, the surface does not peel off. A few days after the appearance of the spots turn from pink to dark brown.
Sometimes the growth of pimples can stop on its own, but there are times when the entire skin is affected and their penetration into the internal organs begins.
Solitaryform
Solitary mastocytoma is a solitary tumor formed from mast cells. This species is quite rare, but you should be aware of it. Represents solitary mastocytosis in children (shown in the photo) tumor formation. It is located on the trunk, most often in the back, chest, neck, forearm. There is no need to panic in advance. Statistics show: in 90% of cases, this stain resolves over time. By puberty, the child may completely disappear. This type of disease is not characterized by severe itching and disruption of the internal organs.
Sometimes a solitary form of mastocytosis can be mistaken for a pigmented nevus. They take the child to the surgeon to remove the formation. It won't do the child any good or solve the problem.
If the baby scratches or injures the wound, bubbles appear in its place.
Diagnosis
Who should I contact to determine the causes of mastocytosis in children? These questions are of interest to many parents. In any case, you should not ignore a visit to a specialist. Be sure to consult a dermatologist if spots are found on the skin of a child. He will diagnose and, if necessary, send to his other colleagues. In no case do not start treatment on your own. After all, you do not know exactly what factors contributed to the appearance of the rash.
The doctor will carefully examine the baby. For these purposes, a dermatoscope is usually used. Thanks to this device, diagnostic errors are eliminated. ThereafterParents will be asked questions about the child's condition. You must answer correctly, it is advisable to remember all the complaints that came from the mouth of the child. In addition, laboratory tests will be carried out. You will have to take a blood test, undergo an ultrasound diagnosis of all internal organs to exclude a systemic disease.
Treatment
Children diagnosed with mastocytosis. The reasons for its occurrence, as far as possible, are identified. It's time to start treatment. Specific methods have not yet been created. Symptomatic therapy is used to improve the child's condition. The goal of treatment is to reduce the activity of mast cell development. Toddlers and older children are prescribed:
- Drugs against allergies: "Suprastin", "Tavegil" and others.
- Drugs capable of stabilizing the action of harmful cells.
- PUVA therapy. The skin is treated with ultraviolet light. It will take twenty-five sessions. It is used in the event that antihistamines do not work. The procedure will help reduce the number of spots on the skin.
- Cytostatics (with a systemic form of the disease). The disease itself cannot be cured with their help, but it is possible to slow down and stop the growth of mast cells.
Having found out the causes of mastocytosis in children, treatment in some cases can be carried out using traditional medicine recipes.
Treatment with folk methods
We warn you right away, get rid of the disease in this waymethod is possible only after consulting a doctor. Plants will help reduce the intensity of itching and irritation of the skin. Multiple recipes:
- Coriander (herb powder) is mixed with powdered sugar in a one to one ratio. Consume half a teaspoon before meals.
- Ivy infusion. A dessert spoon of oak bark plus ivy leaves are poured with boiling water (one liter) and infused until cool. A compress is made. Lasts twenty minutes on the affected area.
- Infusion of nettles. One tablespoon of dry nettle is taken. Pour in one glass of boiled water. Inflamed areas are rubbed with this solution several times a day.
- Mastocytosis in children is also treated with herbal baths. When bathing, the following are added to the water: chamomile, celandine, nettle, sage and string.
Using these methods will not be able to completely rid the baby of the problem, but the condition will make it easier.
Consequences of the disease
It has been repeated several times throughout the article: if you notice a rash on the baby's body, immediately consult a doctor. After all, a completely harmless disease can turn into a more serious problem: organ damage and death.
Prognosis of the disease depends on the cause of mastocytosis in children. The photo shows that the problems most often go away by themselves and there are no spots left on the child's body.
Such a conclusion cannot be made with a systemic lesion. If mast cell leukemia is diagnosed, it is not worth talking about favorable development. That's why againWe repeat: do not delay the treatment. Seek immediate medical attention.
