Calluses formed on the fingers and feet as a result of physical hard work and adequate care can also be seen on the back! Known as Elastofibroma Dorsi in the medical world, this disease, which we call back calluses in the public, is mostly seen in women. Thoracic Surgery Specialist Assoc. Dr. Özkan Demirhan shared valuable information about his treatment and symptoms. Here are all the details about the formation of calluses on the back on appleelma.com!
Calluses, which we are used to seeing standing up, can also occur on the back. The back callus, which is more threatening to women, manifests itself as a clicking sound that occurs with arm movement, upper elevation of the scapula and swelling around it, weakness in the arm, arm and back pain.
Elastofibroma Dorsi, which is a rare disease with its medical name, is mostly seen in women. This tumor, which has a benign course for more than one time, can negatively affect daily life. Experts, on the other hand, emphasize that it should be surgically removed after diagnosis. Explaining the reasons for the formation of back calluses
, Demirhan said, “Elastofibroma Dorsi is a rare, good-natured and slow-growing chest wall tumor. It is a pseudotumor of fibroelastic structure, which develops due to mechanical friction and pressure in the middle of the scapula (scapula) and chest wall, and is therefore considered reactive rather than tumoral. It mostly affects the middle age group. It is more common in women over the age of 40 (female-male ratio 6/1), although it is mostly unilateral (single and double incidence) it is 3/1. Unilateral lesions are seen more than once on the right side.
It is more common in those who always use the shoulder and arm, and those who do heavy work.
Mentioning that the movements that force the arm trigger the back calluses, Dr. Demirhan said, “Whether Elastofibroma Dorsi is a true tumor or not is controversial, and its etiology can be said to be multifactorial. It has been reported in studies that the incidence may increase with repetitive traumas in those who work with muscle strength. The fact that back calluses are more common around the right scapula in individuals who always use their shoulders and arms or do heavy work supports this view. However, Elastofibroma Dorsi is also observed in individuals who do not force their arms throughout their lives. It can also be seen in different locations other than the scapula.” spoke form.
What Are the Symptoms of Back Calluses?
Back calluses start to show symptoms when they are larger than 5 cm. Fifty percent of the cases do not usually show any symptoms. In symptomatic cases, most of the patients have swelling in the back around the scapula, weakness in the arm, and back shoulder pain. Other symptoms include a clicking sound (click) due to the scapula getting caught in the mass, which occurs with arm movement in the middle, joint stiffness, and the scapula being higher than the other side. Patients presenting with these complaints should definitely be evaluated radiologically, even if there are no unusual findings on physical examination.
From the simplest to the most accurate, accurate Ultrasonography (USG), Computed Tomography (CT), and MRI examination are quite useful imaging procedures for this pathology. In radiology, it is sometimes defined as a malignant mass-like lesion that cannot be clearly differentiated from the thoracic wall muscles. In fact, the location and clinic of the lesion is typical for Elastofibroma Dorsi, and there is no need for incisional biopsy because typical findings are obtained radiologically. In rare cases, biopsy may be required when imaging is not sufficient for the diagnosis of Elastofibroma Dorsi and it is thought to be an aggressive tumor. However, other tests may not be necessary in characteristic lesions extending to deep-seated soft tissue and adipose tissue. CT and MRI may not be sufficient in small cases of Elastofibroma Dorsi. Then gadolinium can be used.
The sensitivity of computed tomography in diagnosing Elastofibroma Dorsi is lower than MRI. However, in case of typical localization and bilateral lesion, CT can be helpful in diagnosis. In the presence of MRI findings, the diagnosis of elastofibroma dorsi can be considered quickly.
In the presence of atypical findings on MRI, typical localization of the lesion, bilateral (bilateral) nature, the patient’s advanced age and female patient support the diagnosis of elastofibroma dorsi. The fact that the lesion is bilateral can largely rule out malignant masses that can be considered in the differential diagnosis. Therefore, when the diagnosis of elastofibroma dorsi is clinically suspected, the chest wall should be evaluated bilaterally. Other chest wall tumors should be considered in the differential diagnosis.
What are Back Callus Treatment Techniques?
In the treatment, analysis can be provided with surgery. Surgery should be treated radically, like cancer surgery, and not the slightest mass residue should be left. In unsuccessful surgery, the mass may reoccur, and a larger surgery may be required in the second operation. For this reason, the treatment is carried out by completely clearing the tumor. If the tumor causes functional disability in the arm and shoulder, signs of compression, pain and swelling in the chest wall, and the diameter of the tumor exceeds 5 cm, it should definitely be removed. In smaller lesions that do not cause complaints, the patient can be followed up without surgical treatment. Since the “Dubling time”, which we call the doubling time of Elastofibroma Dorsi, is quite long, there is no evidence that the disease turns into cancer. Radiotherapy is used, albeit rarely, in unresectable masses.
