Abdominal Masses

Abdominal masses are collections of tissue or swelling that can be felt within the abdominal cavity. In Chinese medicine, they are known as zheng jia ji ju and can be divided into two main categories: structural masses (zheng and ji) that are associated with tissue damage or abnormalities, and transitory masses (jia and ju) that are related to functional disorders. Masses can be caused by blood stasis, phlegm accumulation, heat, or cold, and may cause symptoms such as abdominal paindistention, or constipation. Modern imaging techniques have improved our ability to detect abdominal masses, allowing for earlier treatment in Chinese medicine.