The Symptoms of Hamartoma

A hamartoma is an abnormal growth of tissue that occurs when cells within that tissue do not develop normally. This mass of unorganized cell growth can occur anywhere within the body. Hamartomas often do not cause any symptoms and are only detected when an image is taken for an unrelated condition. When hamartomas do cause symptoms, the location of the tumor dictates what the symptoms are.

Head and Neck

• Hamartomas are commonly found in the head and neck region, either inside the body, or on the skin around the eyes, ears and face. Hamartomas in this area cause the symptoms of swelling, the formation of a lump, pain in the chin, neck or face and hoarseness.

Hypothalamic

• A hypothalamic hamartoma is a benign (non-cancerous) lesion located in the brain near the hypothalamus. Due to the proximity of the lesion to the optic nerve, these growths are usually not removable by surgery. The most prominent symptom of a hypothalamic hamartoma is gelastic, or laughing, seizures. These seizures combine laughter-like vocalizations with facial contractions, flushing, increased respiration and rapid heartbeat.
  A hypothalamic hamartoma can progress to other forms of epilepsy including multiple seizure patterns. Other symptoms that may develop over time include extreme rage, poor social skills and early puberty. Other conditions that may result from a hypothalamic hamartoma are mental retardation and autism.

Lung

• Hamartoma is the most common type of benign tumor in the lung. These tumors made of cartilage, fat, fibrous tissue or smooth muscle are difficult to distinguish from lung cancer and tuberculoma. Hamartoma appear as popcorn-like images on X-rays and grow slowly over time, doubling in size about ever 4.2 years, according to the National Institute of Health. The most prevalent symptoms of lung hamartoma are cough and chest pain.

Heart

• A hamartoma in the heart, also called cardiac rhabdomyoma, is a benign tumor found in the heart, most frequently in the left ventricle. Cardiac rhabdomyoma may or may not exhibit symptoms depending on the size and location of the lesion. The hamartoma may obstruct the flow of blood through the heart, which can lead to heart failure, arrhythmias and thromboembolic disease, which involves the formation of blood clots.
  Hemartomas of the heart may indicate the presence of a condition called tuberous sclerosis, which is characterized by the presence of multiple hamartomas of the brain, eyes, heart, kidney, skin and lungs.

Cowden Disease

• Cowden disease is an inherited disorder characterized by the presence of multiple hamartomas. The hamartomas are present on the skin or mucus membranes (such as the lining of the mouth or nose) or in the intestinal tract. The symptoms of Cowden disease include an enlarged head, intellectual disability and the presence of a non-cancerous brain tumor known as Lhermitte-Duclos disease. The presence of multiple hamartomas increases the risk for cancers of the breast, thyroid and uterus.