Intramuscular myxoma
Intramuscular myxoma is a type of benign tumor that develops in the mesenchyme present at the skeletal muscle level. It is a very rare tumor that grows as a slow mass and is unpainful.
Usually, a myxoma means a non-cancerous tumor of the heart. It is a primary heart tumor. Primary heart tumors are the ones that originate within the heart itself, unlike secondary tumors.
Besides, Myxomas can also cause bone lysis which is very, very rare. For instance, only seven cases with bone lysis are reported yet, but never at the level of the shoulder.
Causes.
Exactly, it is not clear what leads to muscular myxoma. However, they develop from the mesenchymal stem cells (mesenchyme). These cells differentiate into non-functional fibroblast cells.
Usually, these cancers occur at a higher age of 40 to 60 years. Furthermore, females are more prone to develop this tumor than males. The tumor mainly affects the organs’ like thighs, buttocks, upper arms, etc.
Besides, certain risk factors may increase your chance of developing intramuscular myxoma. For instance, the conditions like Mazabraud’s syndrome and McCune-Albright’s syndrome (a bone-related genetic disorder) are some risk factors for intramuscular myxoma.
Symptoms.
Depending on the location of intramuscular myxoma, a patient can show different signs and symptoms. However, you should remember that all tumors are intramuscular.
Usually, these tumors are solitary, however, multiple tumors may also result at times like that of Mazabraud’s syndrome.
Some patients may show no symptoms at all, while others show a mild range of signs and symptoms. As these tumors are benign and grow at a very slow rate, they show the symptoms like:
Presence of masses.
Reduced range of motion
Discomfort
Although they are usually painless, sometimes pain and tenderness may result.
Diagnosis.
The diagnosis of the intramuscular myxoma mainly includes:
Physical examination. In this procedure, your doctor will examine you physically. He/she will look for the presence of masses or lumps. Furthermore, your doctor may ask you to reveal your medical history. Any kind of symptoms like pain in a particular area are helpful.
Imaging tests. After a thorough physical examination, your doctor may order several imaging tests. For instance, an ultrasound will give internal images of your tissue. A technical health care professional will interpret the data.
Similarly, CT scans and MRI scans which give more details about the soft tissues of intramuscular myxoma are helpful. These tests will provide more accurate information to your doctor. This way diagnosis becomes easier.
Biopsy. To confirm the tumor, your doctor may take a small tissue of your tumor. After that, a pathologist looks after the cancerous changes by placing the tumor under a microscope. This way definitive diagnosis becomes possible.
Treatment.
Your doctor may try to treat your intramuscular myxoma in the following ways:
In case there are no signs and symptoms about the tumor, then your doctor may adopt non-surgical treatments. Thus, your healthcare provider will periodically observe the tumor if there are any possible changes.
Besides, a complete cure for intramuscular myxoma is the surgical removal of the tumor. The rate of recurrence is very low when your surgeon removes the tumor completely with clear margins. Moreover, other treatments like radiation therapy and chemotherapy are not necessary.
After your doctor performs surgery, post-operative care becomes important. You should ensure the minimal activity level until your surgical wound heals. Then, follow-up care with regular checkups and screening is necessary.
Complications.
You may develop several complications like:
Your tumor may affect the quality of your life. If you have a tumor in the thigh muscles, it may affect your walking. Folding hands, raising one’s arms, etc. may become difficult if the tumor is present in the arm/shoulder.
Also, it becomes necessary to take proper care of your wound. You need to take complete rest to avoid any further complications. Once your tumor gets better, you can turn back to your normal life.
Coping and support
When you get diagnosed with intramuscular myxoma, it could be frightening for you. The condition will be no different for your family.
However, you may learn to cope with the uncertainty and distress related to cancer with time. Thus, you need to follow these instructions until then;
Call on for medical support:
Various things are going to help you. For instance, the knowledge and understanding of a medical social worker, or any other mental health professional is necessary. They will help you in understanding your cancer.
Furthermore, if your child or other family member suffers from cancer, you need to ask health care professionals for advice. They will provide you with options for medical health support. This will also provide you with emotional and social support.
In addition to this, you can check various online services that will provide you support to combat cancer.
- Gain more knowledge about intramuscular myxoma to make decisionsabout control and care:
Ask your doctor about various treatment options related to intramuscular myxoma. Little knowledge is dangerous. Therefore, more confidence in understanding and making decisions about treatment options will be there with you. So you should always learn more about the disease.
Ask the health care team for guidance if your child has cancer. Therefore, get more and more information for appropriately caring for the patient.
Be close to your friends and family:
A close and strong relationship with your family and friends is necessary. It will help you deal with intramuscular myxoma.
You need practical support, moral support from your friends and relatives. Thus, someone should be there for you to look after the family. Emotional support from them is going to matter most. Thus, a healthy and happy person will ultimately efficiently fight the disease.
Prepare for your appointment
You are likely to start making an appointment with your primary care doctor if some signs and symptoms worry you. Ask for a referral to an experienced specialist if your doctor suspects intramuscular myxoma.
A team of specialists typically can treat. For instance;
Tumor surgeons who have specialization in operating soft tissue cancers.
Doctors who have a specialization in treating cancers with systemic medications or chemotherapy.
Pathologists diagnose the specific type of cancer by analyzing a tissue.
Rehabilitation specialists who after surgery help in the recovery of a tumor.
What you should expect from your doctor:
You will face several questions from your doctor. Thus, you should be ready to answer these. So, give more time to your doctor to address them. Your doctor may ask;
What signs and symptoms concern you more?
Have your symptoms been occasional or continuous?
When did you start to notice the symptoms?
The severity of your symptoms?
Is there anything that improves your symptoms?
Is there anything that worsens your symptoms?
Do you have any family or personal history of cancer?