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September 2017

The MastAttack 107: The Layperson’s Guide to Understanding Mast Cell Diseases, Part 59

73. Can mast cell disease cause organ damage?

  • Yes.
  • The term organ damage is tricky because people use it to mean a lot of things while providers and researchers often use it to mean one very specific thing. For providers and researchers, the term “organ damage” usually means a change in the organ that affects its structure, like it becomes misshapen or deformed in some way. Structural changes like this are often irreversible. This damage to the organ’s shape and structure usually affects how the organ works, called organ function.
  • When patients and laypeople talk about organ damage, they usually mean a change in the way the organ functions, even if the structure is not changed at all. This is different in a very important way: changes in an organ that do not affect its permanent structure can sometimes be reversible.
  • Both cutaneous and systemic mastocytosis cause organ damage in a way that damages the organ’s structure. When too many mast cells burrow into the tissue of an organ, it has to push other things out of the way. When you have mastocytosis, the mast cells like to stick together and form a big clump in the tissue. This punches holes in the tissue, affecting the organ’s structure and shape. This is called dense infiltration. It is one of the criteria for systemic mastocytosis and also happens in cutaneous mastocytosis.
  • In patients with mastocytosis, those mast cells clumping together cause a lot of the organ damage. This means that people who have the most mast cells usually have the worst organ damage. Patients with malignant forms of mast cell disease, like mast cell leukemia or aggressive systemic mastocytosis, often have organs that are riddled with TONS of mast cells.
  • Mast cells don’t live in the blood so when your body makes way too many mast cells, those mast cells will dive into whatever organ they can to get out of the bloodstream. This causes damage to the structure that you can see with scans or in biopsies.  People with mast cell leukemia and aggressive systemic mastocytosis suffer so much damage to the shape and function of their organs that the organs can totally stop working, called organ failure.
  • One of the key differences researchers and providers see between mastocytosis and mast cell activation syndrome is that mast cells don’t cause THIS TYPE of structural damage in mast cell activation syndrome patients.
  • We know this because in biopsies, they do not have mast cells clumped together to punch holes in the tissue. Sometimes they have lots of mast cells, but it is much less damaging to the tissue if they aren’t clumped together. Think of it like poking something with finger versus punching with your fist.
  • In MCAS, mast cells do not cause structural damage to organs IN THIS WAY. However, many people with MCAS do have structural damage to their organs. Many of them also have organs that do not function correctly even if the organs look normal.
  • Even if you don’t have mast cells punching holes in all your organs, they can still do a lot of damage. This is because mast cells cause lots of inflammation, which can stress out your organs. Over time, your organs can be damaged by the mast cells releasing too many mediators. While this is not always dangerous, it is certainly painful and frustrating.
  • Many MCAS and mastocytosis patients have a lot of damage to their GI tracts from years of vomiting, obstructions, diarrhea or constipation. Hives and mastocytosis spots can damage your skin, causing discoloration, scarring or sensitivity. Muscles can become weaker over time because of mast cell inflammation. Swelling can stretch out your skin and connective tissues. Nerves can be damaged significantly, affecting organ function. Bones can become brittle and break, or can become too dense because the body is making new bone when it shouldn’t.
  • All of these effects on organ function can be caused by mast cells. Major changes in organ function can also cause secondary conditions to arise.
  • Mast cell patients are also at an increased risk for anaphylaxis which can cause changes in organ function or organ damage.
  • Patients who have trouble breathing or low blood pressure may not be getting enough oxygen to their whole body. That can cause lasting damage if it goes on long enough.

For more detailed reading, please visit the following posts:

The MastAttack 107: The Layperson’s Guide to Understanding Mast Cell Diseases, Part 58

72. How does mast cell disease affect your dental health?

Mast cells are found naturally throughout your body. One of their most important functions is to fight off parasites and infections in your GI tract, starting in the mouth. Everyone has mast cells in their mouth, although most people don’t have a lot of them. They release mediators there like they do everywhere else. For mast cell patients, releasing too many mediators can be a source of symptoms. It causes the oral symptoms many of us experience, including swelling of the lips, mouth and tongue. It can also cause excessive salivation or dryness depending upon the patient.

Your teeth and mouth can be damaged by things that are very acidic. Frequent vomiting as a result of mast cell disease (or anything) can really damage your teeth. It erodes the protective coating over your teeth. It is very hard to effectively wash all the acid out of your mouth after vomiting as it can collect at or below the gumline. This is the reason I personally have had some dental issues in the last few years. Even though I was very diligent about brushing after vomiting, I couldn’t brush beneath the gums to prevent formation of cavities.

My dentist recently recommended that I neutralize the acid in my mouth before brushing instead of brushing immediately after vomiting. Brushing your teeth with acid in your mouth spreads it around your teeth and causes little craters to form on your teeth. My dentist recommended I rinse my mouth out with water and baking soda to neutralize the acid before brushing after I vomit. I also use a prescription toothpaste to help keep my teeth strong. (Always consult your own care team about specific steps you can take before changing your care plan.)

Redness and burning in the mouth can be the result of mast cell activation. For mast cell patients, this can be worsened by exposure to triggers, especially triggers you ingest.

Gum health can be tricky for mast cell patients. For those of us with connective tissue diseases like Ehlers Danlos, we are always at a disadvantage. My old dentist used to constantly give me crap about not flossing even I flossed regularly. This was years before I knew I had EDS and that patients with EDS often have bleeding gums regardless of flossing. Bleeding of any kind activates mast cells, so if you bleed when you brush your teeth, that can be a trigger.

Having swollen or bleeding gums makes it easier for you to get infections in your mouth. Even more seriously, it makes it much easier for infectious organisms to be transferred from your mouth into your bloodstream, where they can cause an infection. This is exactly what happened to me in March 2016 when I had the Danger Tooth pulled. This is a concern for anyone but especially people who have central lines. When you have a central line, bugs that end up in your bloodstream can stick onto your central line and grow more quickly. As this line ends just above your heart, line infections can be very serious, even if they started in the mouth and not the line itself. Sometime dentists treat patients with antibiotics before dental care to avoid this, but it is very patient specific.

Dental cleanings use lots of materials or meds that can trigger mast cell degranulation. A lot of them have extra junk in them, like dyes or flavors. Vibration and scraping during the cleaning can be triggering. Many mouth washes are off limits for us, especially those with dyes and alcohols. And of course, dental work can be painful or cause bleeding which is problematic for us. Anxiety is also common.

I personally do okay with the plain grey pomice scrub for cleanings. Mast cell patients should premedicate before any procedures, including detail appointments. See the link below for the premedication recommendations for mast cell patients.

Dental procedures or surgeries have the same problems as cleanings but to a stronger degree. Installing permanent or semipermanent hardware into the mouth carries the risk of later reacting to it. Braces, retainers and splints can be super tricky for us. The decision to put in a crown or something similar should involve the mast cell specialist on your care team. I personally have opted to have a tooth pulled rather than run the risk of later reactions to the crown.

Numbing medications can be mast cell triggers, like some of the –caine anesthetics. Sometimes dentists will use a preparation of anesthetic that also has a little epinephrine in it to help control the bleeding. While I personally do not have problems with this preparation, a lot of mast cell patients do because it contains a preservative.

For more detailed reading, please visit the following posts:

The Provider Primer Series: Medications that impact mast cell degranulation and anaphylaxis

Premedication and surgical concerns in mast cell patients

 

The MastAttack 107: The Layperson’s Guide to Understanding Mast Cell Diseases, Part 57

71. What other diseases “look like” mast cell disease?

Mast cell diseases have many symptoms that are also commonly found in other disorders. This is one of the reasons why it is difficult to diagnose correctly. The following conditions have symptoms that can look like mast cell disease.

Neuroendocrine cells are specialized cells that help to pass signals from the nervous system to nearby cells, causing those cells to release hormones. There are many types of neuroendocrine tumors. Some conditions that look like mast cell disease are caused by these tumors. Symptoms from them are caused by the response of too much hormone.

Carcinoid syndrome is the result of a rare cancerous growth called carcinoid tumor. This tumor releases too much serotonin into the body. This can cause flushing, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, and cardiovascular abnormalities such as abnormal heart rhythm. Mast cells also release serotonin but they release much less than carcinoid tumors.

VIPoma means vasoactive intestinal peptide –oma. When a word has –oma at the end, it means that it is a tumor. A VIPoma is a tumor that starts in the pancreas. It releases a chemical called vasoactive intestinal peptide. VIPoma can cause flushing, low blood pressure, and severe diarrhea leading to dehydration. A VIPoma can also abnormalities in the composition of the blood. Many patients have low potassium, high calcium, and high blood sugar.

Pheochromocytomas start as cells in the adrenal glands. They release excessive norepinephrine and epinephrine. They can cause headaches, heart palpitations, anxiety, and blood pressure abnormalities, among other things.

Zollinger-Ellison syndrome is a condition in which tumors release too much of a hormone called gastrin into the GI tract. This causes the stomach to make too much acid, damaging the stomach and affecting absorption.

Some blood cancers can cause mast cells to become overly activated. They may also cause an increase in tryptase, an important marker in diagnosing systemic mastocytosis.

Some other cancerous tumors like medullary thyroid carcinoma can cause mast cell type symptoms including flushing, diarrhea, and itching.

Most diseases with any allergic component can look like mast cell disease.

Eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease occurs when certain white blood cells called eosinophils become too reactive, causing inflammation to many triggers. Furthermore, people are more frequently being diagnosed with both EGID and mast cell disease.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease in which gluten causes an inflammatory reaction inside the body. The damage to the GI tract can be significant. Malabsorption is not unusual. Children with celiac disease may grow poorly. Bloating, diarrhea, ulceration, and abdominal pain are commonly reported.

FPIES (food protein induced enterocolitis syndrome) can cause episodes of vomiting, acidosis, low blood pressure and shock as a result of ingesting a food trigger.

Traditional (IgE) allergies can also look just like mast cell disease. They are usually distinguished by the fact that mast cell patients may react to a trigger whether or not their body specifically recognizes it as an allergen (does not make an IgE molecule to the trigger). Confusingly, it is possible to have both traditional IgE allergies and mast cell disease.

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is commonly found in patients with mast cell disease. However, POTS itself can have similar symptoms to mast cell disease. Palpitations, blood pressure abnormalities, sweating, anxiety, nausea, and headaches are some symptoms both POTS and mast cell disease have. There are also other forms of dysautonomia which mimic the presentation of mast cell disease.

Achlorhydria is a condition in which the stomach does not produce enough acid to break down food properly. This can cause a lot of GI pain, malabsorption, anemia, and weight loss.

Hereditary angioedema and acquired angioedema are conditions that cause a person to swell, often severely. Swelling may affect the airway and can be fatal if the airway is not protected. Swelling within the abdomen can cause significant pain and GI symptoms like nausea and vomiting.

Gastroparesis is paralysis of the stomach. People with GP often experience serious GI pain, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea or constipation, bloating and swelling.

Inflammatory bowel diseases and irritable bowel syndrome can all cause GI symptoms identical to what mast cell patients experience.

This list is not exhaustive. There are many other diseases that can look similar to mast cell disease. These are the ones I have come across most commonly.

For more detailed reading, please visit the following posts:

Gastroparesis: Part 1
Gastroparesis: Treatment (part 2)
Gastroparesis: Diabetes and gastroparesis (Part 3)
Gastroparesis: Post-surgical gastroparesis (Part 4)
Gastroparesis: Less common causes (Part 5)
Gastroparesis: Autonomic nervous system and vagus nerve (Part 6)
Gastroparesis: Idiopathic gastroparesis (Part 7)

Food allergy series: Food related allergic disorders
Food allergy series: FPIES (part 1)
Food allergy series: FPIES (part 2)
Food allergy series: Eosinophilic colitis
Food allergy series: Eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease (part 1)
Food allergy series: Eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease (part 2)
Food allergy series: Eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease (part 3)
Food allergy series: Eosinophilic esophagitis (Part 1)
Food allergy series: Eosinophilic esophagitis (Part 2)
Food allergy series: Eosinophilic esophagitis (Part 3)

Angioedema: Part 1
Angioedema: Part 2
Angioedema: Part 3
Angioedema: Part 4

Deconditioning, orthostatic intolerance, exercise and chronic illness: Part 1
Deconditioning, orthostatic intolerance, exercise and chronic illness: Part 2
Deconditioning, orthostatic intolerance, exercise and chronic illness: Part 3
Deconditioning, orthostatic intolerance, exercise and chronic illness: Part 4
Deconditioning, orthostatic intolerance, exercise and chronic illness: Part 5
Deconditioning, orthostatic intolerance, exercise and chronic illness: Part 6
Deconditioning, orthostatic intolerance, exercise and chronic illness: Part 7