Hyperplasia is an increase in the number of cells in an organ or tissue, which can be physiological, benign, pathological, or disease-related. It can be induced artificially and is associated with several diseases, including cancer. Treatment depends on the type and may involve surgery or hormonal injections.
Hyperplasia is an increase in the number of cells in an organ or tissue. While this process is often harmless and sometimes even beneficial, it can also occur in connection with several diseases. In general, all types of hyperplasia can be classified as physiological, benign, pathological, or disease-related. This process can also be induced artificially. Whether physiological or pathological, this process occurs in response to normal stimuli, as opposed to tumor-forming processes, which are abnormal stimuli.
Physiological types
Most people experience some type of harmless hyperplasia at some point in their lives. For example, certain types of exercise can cause an increase in the number of muscle cells in a particular area, and pregnant women usually develop extra milk gland cells in their breasts in preparation for breastfeeding. It is also extremely common for older men to develop more cells in the prostate glands, known as benign prostatic hyperplasia. Some other physiological types include focal nodular hyperplasia, which is a noncancerous type of liver growth, and cutaneous lymphoid hyperplasia, a type of skin lesion. A rarer type is intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia, in which cells lining blood vessels increase, usually in the skin of the head or neck.
Sometimes, cell augmentation is extremely beneficial. For example, this process is what allows the liver to regenerate even if it is extremely damaged. This is also why liver transplants work: The cells in a section of donated liver can divide and increase to the point where the liver becomes functional again. Also, some people induce hyperplasia through injections of Insulin Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) and Human Growth Hormone (HGH). While this is not always dangerous and tends to lead to lasting gains in muscle mass, excessive use of IGF-1 and HGH is associated with breast growth in men, carpal tunnel syndrome, premature balding, aggression, and liver and kidney problems. , Moreover.
Pathological types
While this process in and of itself is usually not a dangerous condition, it is sometimes associated with disease and can be a precursor to some types of cancer. For example, endometrial hyperplasia, which is an increase in the number of cells lining the uterus, is a risk factor for endometrial cancer, but can also occur in response to estrogen therapy or ovarian syndrome polycystic (PCOS). Other types are more closely associated with cancer, such as C-cell hyperplasia, which is generally a precursor to medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), and oral verrucous hyperplasia, which is thought to be a precursor to verrucous carcinoma, a type of oral cancer.
Another pathological type that is not associated with cancer is congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), which affects the adrenal gland’s ability to produce hormones such as cortisol and androgens. This is associated with Cushing’s syndrome and usually causes abnormal genitalia, extremely early puberty, infertility, menstrual irregularities and severe acne. There are two forms of CAH, one of which begins in childhood and is usually more severe than the other, which begins in late childhood or early adolescence.
Symptoms and diagnosis
The symptoms of this condition largely depend on the underlying cause. Because there are so many different types of this condition, there is no general method for diagnosing it, but doctors can usually determine whether a person has associated symptoms or by taking and testing a sample of cells. Some types have easily visible symptoms; for example, cutaneous lymphoid hyperplasia causes reddish-brownish nodules on the skin, and sebaceous hyperplasia causes shiny bumps on the face. Even in cases with visible symptoms, however, a doctor usually still needs a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis.
treatments
Like the diagnostic process, treatment for hyperplasia depends on the type. In some cases, treatment focuses on the underlying cause, such as with CAH, while in others, hormonal injections can help. Any lumps and growths formed by this process are usually surgically removed.
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