-Vataja Gulma

[Guest guest]

Dear

I like this approach of Integrated Medicine, instead of saying one system is

better than the other. I suppose you are calling it a Vataja only because of its

location, otherwise most Gulmas are Kaphaja.

 

If the tumor size was smaller, one could have tried to reduce the size by anti

Vata or anti Vata/ Kapha diet / medicine. When the tumor size is the size of a 7

month pregnancy, that is indeed very large. It may be a benign lipoma or a cyst

( since it is hollow ) or something more sinister.

It may also be a hernia ( with a weakness in the abdominal muscles, and the

intestines that project subcutaneously,) and thatcould explain its mobility ( up

and down as you say ) or the fact that it can be "flattened" and that it is

"hollow" on percussion.

 

If it is a hernia, the treatment is surgical correction. If it is a lipoma, she

can wait or get it excised. Rarely, it may be an Ovarian cyst that has

"herniated", the treatment of which is also surgical.

Durgesh Mankikar,MD

 

 

 

Message: 1

Sat, 18 Jun 2005 08:15:04 -0700 Caldecott

vataja / vata-kaphaja gulma - abdominal tumour

i have an interesting case i would appreciate some input on:

 

60 y/o female with mild generalized obesity presenting with a large

abdominal tumor that has been growing steadily for the last 4 years

curently, it resembles a 7 mo pregnancy, but the tumor is more

irregular and tends to protrude from the left side of the abdomen

 

upon palpation the abdomen is soft and yielding and can be moved across

and up and down the abdomen; upon percussion the tumor sounds hollow

she can also "flatten" the tumor with the waistband of her pants, after

which the tumor looks like a generalized abdominal obesity through the

clothing

 

there is a significant history of chronic flatulence and constipation

recently, there has been some back pain when sitting for extended

periods

despite all this, she is in very good spirits

 

upon ultrasound the tumor casts an acoustic shadow, but all the

internal organs are normal, with no masses or ascites

 

i have never seen any like this before, but it very much seems to

correspond with the Ayurvedic classification of "gulma," or "phantom"

tumor

given her symptoms, i would classify it as either vata, or vata-kapha

gulma

 

currently, she is on a detoxification program that is simultaneously

focusing on improving digestion, with various herbs, enzymes and

synbiotics

 

any insight on possible diagnoses or treatment options would be

appreciated