Lipoma
What
is it?
Lipoma
is a common soft-tissue tumor found under the skin
but also can appear in deeper tissues and even in
various body organs, such as the heart, brain, and
lung. They can vary from walnut size to that of a
large baseball and usually have a soft, rubbery
feel. Types of lipomas include the superficial
subcutaneous lipoma, the intramuscular lipoma, the
spindle cell lipoma, the angiolipoma, the benign
lipoblastoma, and the lipomas of tendon sheaths,
nerves, synovium, periosteum, and the lumbosacral
area. The most common type is the superficial
subcutaneous lipoma.
Who
gets it?
-
Superficial subcutaneous lipomas occur more
frequently in women than men, usually on the
trunk, nape of the neck, and forearms. They are
found more commonly in people who are
overweight, although losing weight will not make
lipomas smaller.
- Deep
intramuscular lipomas usually affect adults 30
to 60 years of age, with more men being affected
than women. It is commonly found in the large
muscles of the extremities.
-
Spindle cell lipomas are seen typically in men
45 and 64 years of age in the posterior neck and
shoulder areas.
-
Angiolipoma lipomas are usually found in young
adults, typically on the forearm.
-
Lumbosacral lipomas occur in the trunk posterior
to a spina bifida defect. They usually occur in
infants, but can be seen in adults.
- An
extremely rare variation of lipoma is diffuse
lipomatosis. Symptoms include multiple
superficial and deep lipomas that involve one
entire extremity or the trunk and usually have
their onset during the first 2 years of life.
-
Benign lipoblastoma and diffuse
lipoblastomatosis usually affect the extremities
of infants. The lesions can be solitary or
multiple and can be superficial or deep in
muscle tissue.
What
causes it?
No one
knows why lipomas occur. Usually they are
inherited.
What
are the symptoms?
Symptoms of lipoma include soft, moveable lumps
under the skin that are sometimes painful to the
touch.
How is
it diagnosed?
The
doctor may be able to make a diagnosis of lipoma
based on a visual examination of the patient. The
doctor may also do a biopsy on the lesion to
determine the type of lipoma.
What
is the treatment?
Treatment for lipomas may not be required, however
in most cases they can be surgically removed if
they are very large, painful, or cosmetically
unattractive. The doctor may remove them by
surgical excision. Liposuction can sometimes be
performed and may result in less scarring.
Sometimes it is impossible to remove a diffuse
lipomatosis if the involved limb becomes massive
in size. In this extreme case, amputation of the
limb may be recommended.
Self-care tips
Lipomas
generally grow to a limited size and usually are
not painful. Surgery to treat lipomas for cosmetic
reasons is usually successful, with a recurrence
rate for most lipomas at less than five percent.
This information has been designed as a comprehensive and quick reference
guide written by our health care reviewers. The health information written
by our authors is intended to be a supplement to the care provided by your
physician. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for
professional medical advice.
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