Granuloma after surgery
In case of a postoperative granuloma, our organism reacts with a defensive reaction to foreign material. For example, the thread material of an operation wound is “encapsulated” and a painful, nodular swelling develops. In this context one speaks of a foreign body or thread granuloma. Often the unpleasant nodules disappear again by themselves after a few weeks, so that no therapy is necessary. However, if the pain is severe or there is a risk of inflammation, surgical removal of the granuloma may be necessary.
Granuloma in the lung
Granulomas in the lung are always highly suspicious of a serious disease of the organ. In this context, there are basically two possible triggering diseases: tuberculosis or sarcoidosis. Tuberculosis, also known as “consumption”, is a bacterially transmissible disease.
Typical is a course with slight fever, unintentional weight loss, night sweat and persistent coughing with blood admixtures. An X-ray examination of the lung shows the typical granulomas in the lung. Since tuberculosis can be highly infectious and can be fatal if left untreated, it is essential that affected persons are isolated.
In this way, the risk of infection can be minimized. With the administration of several antibiotics over a period of up to seven months, the disease can usually be cured in the western world. Due to continuously improved hygienic conditions and medical progress, tuberculosis is almost completely contained in our latitudes.
In many developing countries, but also in countries of the former Soviet Union, the disease still plays a very important role! In contrast, sarcoidosis is not a contagious disease. For reasons as yet unknown, affected granulomas form throughout the body, but especially in the lungs.
Coughing, fatigue, joint pain, fever, skin symptoms or lymph node swelling are only some of the symptoms of “chameleon-like sarcoidosis“. Newborn children in particular are susceptible to a granuloma of the navel. Within the first days of life, the remaining umbilical cord should fall off by itself.
However, if the belly button becomes wet, e.g., by urine from the diaper, the risk of a navel granuloma, popularly called “wild meat”, increases. With this nodular proliferation, the surroundings of the navel can be red, overheated and swollen under certain circumstances. In order to prevent the possible spread of the inflammation, affected parents should consult their pediatrician.
Local antibiotic ointments can provide quick relief. Small, ring-shaped and raised nodules on the finger can represent a so-called granuloma anulare. The harmless papules usually do not itch or hurt and are particularly common on the fingers and the backs of the hands and feet.
Children and young adults are particularly affected. In most cases, the small granulomas disappear by themselves and do not need to be treated. Occasionally, an attempt can be made with cold therapy or cortisone ointment.
However, surgical removal is not common. Our teeth are firmly anchored in the jawbone with their strong roots. If there is an inflammation of the root tip, a granuloma of the tooth can develop.
Bacteria often reach the tip of the root via damage to the tooth, such as caries. There the body reacts with defense mechanisms already described, so that small nodules or granulomas are formed. They often remain unnoticed for a long time and only lead to symptoms when they have reached an advanced size.
Those affected then suffer from increased sensitivity to pain, feelings of pressure, throbbing pain and even pain radiating into the entire head area. A root canal treatment is often sufficient to remove the granuloma from the tooth. In some cases, however, your dentist may have to resort to root tip resection.
In rare cases, a granuloma of the eye can be observed. Due to their unfavorable location, they can impressively disturb the vision of the affected person, so that granulomas in the eye area are usually removed with a small operation.Occasionally they can be confused with barley grains by those affected, but the ophthalmologist should be able to distinguish them easily. Very often these are “pyogenic granulomas”.
They belong to the group of haemangioma and are completely benign. Particularly unpleasant, but very rare, are granulomas of the conjunctiva or cornea.
