Some patients with LAM have a benign tumour in the kidney (called an angiomyolipoma). Most kidney tumours in LAM are small, do not cause symptoms and do not need treatment. Occasionally larger tumours cause pain or bleeding and may need to be treated. This is done either by removing the tumour with an operation or blocking its blood supply (embolisation) which causes it to shrink. Embolisation is done through a catheter inserted into an artery and it does not normally need a general anaesthetic. Patients recover more quickly from embolisation. It is not possible to treat all tumours in this way however and the procedure is not performed in all hospitals.
Juliet Stevenson