- Jellyfish head - what is this symptom? Reasons for the formation of
- Jellyfish head - how is it made?
- Jellyfish head - complications and treatment
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Jellyfish head is a term reserved for the characteristic appearance of the abdominal skin, which is formed by specific pathophysiological mechanisms. This name refers to the mythological hair of Medusa, which the goddess Athena turned into crawling snakes in an act of revenge. What is a jellyfish head symptom of? How to recognize it?
The head of the jellyfish (Latin caput medusae)is the characteristic color of the skin, most often in the abdomen. It has the form of a subcutaneous haemorrhage or clearly defined veins on the abdominal wall. The head of the jellyfish is not a separate disease entity, but a symptom of the malfunctioning of the liver, which is caused by cirrhosis of this organ.
Jellyfish head - what is this symptom? Reasons for the formation of
In a he althy person, the abdominal veins are invisible. On the other hand, in patients with cirrhosis of the liver, these veins become dilated as a result of portal hypertension and the so-called compensatory development. collateral circulation. This symptom is called the jellyfish head and indicates that the liver is not functioning properly.
The value of portal pressure depends on the product of hepatic vascular resistance (increased amount of fibrous tissue in the liver, decreased hepatic vascular bed compliance) and portal blood flow (increased volume, increased left ventricular projection, dilation of visceral arteries).
The etiology of portal hypertension can also be divided by the localization of changes, i.e. the prehepatic mechanism of portal hypertension, e.g. splenic vein thrombosis, portal vein thrombosis, hepatic mechanism, in which we distinguish pre-sinus manifestations, e.g.
- splenomegaly,
- sinus - acute hepatitis,
- sinusitis - veno-occlusive disease and hepatic mechanism of portal hypertension in the course of right heart failure.
Jellyfish head - how is it made?
Increased pressure in the portal vein causes the formation of the portal-systemic collateral circulation, which is to "relieve" the portal system, but it is also the cause of many adverse events, e.g. esophageal varices, which can be a source of bleeding and may hepatic encephalopathy develops, because the blood is no longer "cleansed" of intestinal toxins that would be transported under physiological conditionsthrough the portal vein to the liver and neutralized.
A prerequisite for the formation of the jellyfish head is the recanalization of the umbilical vein, which departs from the left branch of the portal vein and then runs along the posterior surface of the abdominal wall towards the navel.
The unblocked umbilical vein causes widening of the umbilical veins and the creation of many branches through which blood passes to the inferior epigastric vein reaching the systemic circulation. As a result, collateral circulation is created and a characteristic image of the jellyfish's head is created, in which the central part is located at the level of the navel and tortuous veins radiating from it.
It should be added that if the cause of portal hypertension is portal vein thrombosis or splenic vein thrombosis, then the image of the jellyfish's head does not occur, it is because the blockage of the vessel is located proximally to the umbilical vein.
Jellyfish head - complications and treatment
The head of a jellyfish is not a disease, but a manifestation of an ongoing disease in the body, mostly related to cirrhosis of the liver. Due to portal hypertension, visceral vasodilation occurs, which reduces peripheral vascular resistance and arterial pressure.
This leads to a compensatory stimulation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, which reduces renal blood flow and leads to the development of hepatorenal syndrome and the retention of sodium and water ions. Consequently, it causes an increase in plasma volume and contributes to the development of ascites. In special cases, a liver transplant is necessary.
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