A lipoma is a benign fatty tumor or lump of fat. It is a soft, moving to the touch and mostly painless growth that usually arises in the subcutaneous tissue. It can theoretically appear as a result of an injury, but more often it arises spontaneously, i.e. without an obvious cause – alone or in groups and practically in any area with a fat layer. How and where do lipomas form, how to recognize them and how to get rid of them safely?
Content: Lipomas – causes, symptoms and treatment
What is a lipoma?
Causes of lipoma
How to recognize a lipoma?
Treatment and removal of lipomas
When to see a doctor?
A lipoma is a benign tumor arising from white adipose tissue . It is usually harmless, arises in the subcutaneous tissue and appears as a lump on the skin.
What is a lipoma?
A lipoma is a benign tumor arising from white adipose tissue . It is usually harmless, arises in the subcutaneous tissue and appears as a lump on the skin. Since fat cells are found throughout the body, a lipoma can form practically anywhere , including in deeper structures of connective tissue – around internal organs, near nerves and typically also in skeletal muscle. Here we are talking about intramuscular (grow inside the muscle) and intermuscular (grow more into the intermuscular space) lipomas, says MUDr. Jiří Duben , head of the surgery department EUC Zlín Clinic.
Lipoma can also appear in areas where the appearance of fatty tissue is unusual. In such a case, we are talking about a heterogeneous lipoma (e.g. on the brain). Internal lipoma is usually discovered accidentally during another examination (CT, ultrasound or MRI). However, patients are most often troubled by subsequently localized fat lumps in the subcutaneous tissue:
- on back,
- on a neck,
- on the head (in the hair),
- on the face,
- on the eyelid,
- in the chest
- on the hands or underarms,
- on the legs (thighs, buttocks, groin),
- on the testicle.
There is also a variant called a pendulous lipoma , which is a lipoma growing from a free surface, to which it is attached only by a stalk.
Typically, lipoma appears especially in people aged 40-60 years , while it more often affects men and obese patients . This lump of fat can be a mere cosmetic defect without the need for removal . However, if the lipoma is painful or causes other complications, its removal is necessary. In general, lipomas are a common and widespread problem, often returning even after removal, sometimes in larger numbers.
Photo: Freepik.com
Causes of lipoma
The exact reasons for the appearance of lipomas are not fully understood, they can appear even without obvious causes. However, it can be caused, for example, by a lack of vitamin C or E , but also by innate genetic predisposition , specifically weakened fat tissue or disorders associated with fat metabolism.
It is reported that injuries associated with oppression or crushing of soft tissues may also be to blame . In addition, the following diseases may be associated with the formation of fat lumps:
- Gardner syndrome,
- cowden syndrome,
- Madelung’s disease,
- Dercum’s disease.
Other risk factors may include conditions or diseases such as obesity, high cholesterol , diabetes , liver disease and glucose intolerance .
How to recognize a lipoma?
A lipoma usually appears as a soft, oval lump under the skin that moves when touched. The size of lipomas is different – it varies between 1 and 25 cm , while in particular deeper-seated formations escape attention more easily, so they can grow to larger sizes over time, explains MUDr. Jiří Duben .
Lipomas are usually painless , but if they occur near joints, nerves, internal organs or blood vessels, they can hurt and cause other problems. If the fat lump is located, for example, near the intestines, there is a risk of symptoms such as frequent vomiting or constipation.
However, in the vast majority of cases, a lipoma does not pose any particular risk and is only a harmless fat lump (mostly) in the subcutaneous tissue. Thus, although lipomas are generally considered a benign mass of fat cells, there is disagreement among experts as to whether or not they can turn into a malignant tumor, or liposarcoma .
Photo: Freepik.com
Treatment and removal of lipomas
If the patient discovers a suspicious lump, the doctor will confirm or deny whether it is indeed a lipoma based on a physical examination. In case of doubt, it is possible to perform other examinations, such as biopsy, ultrasound, magnetic resonance or computer tomography , adds MUDr. Jiří Duben .
Since lipomas are usually harmless, it is often not necessary to remove them. Sometimes such a procedure is not even recommended, because they tend to return after removal. However, surgical removal is performed in cases where the lipoma contains tumor cells, grows rapidly, causes pain or tingling, disrupts body functions, is an insurmountable cosmetic problem , or the doctor is not sure whether it is really a lipoma.
Most often, the procedure is performed under local anesthesia, through a small incision in the skin . The removal is performed on an outpatient basis and the patient can go home immediately after it. Other methods include:
- Liposuction– the doctor makes a small incision in the skin, through which he then inserts a hollow tube into the subcutaneous tissue and sucks out the excess fat cells.
- Laser removal– the advantage here is that, unlike the above surgical methods, the laser leaves virtually no scar.
Internal lipomas around organs are removed by major abdominal surgery or laparoscopically . After the procedure, the doctor sends the sample of lipoma tissue taken to pathology for microscopic examination.
The scar after removal is usually small and almost unnoticeable after the tissue has healed. A lipoma can also be removed by a plastic surgeon , who uses an even finer sewing technique, so the scar is practically invisible. However, this service is, of course, paid.
Larger lipomas or lipomas in unfavorable locations are removed under short-term general anesthesia during hospitalization.
There are also various ointments for lipomas (mostly based on natural buckthorn, calendula or hemp), but the only safe and truly effective way to remove a lipoma is surgery . The possible enlargement of fat lumps could be caused by massage, which increases blood circulation and thus the growth of symptoms.
Photo: Freepik.com
When to see a doctor?
Lipoma usually occurs in the subcutaneous tissue and usually does not represent any particular risk. Therefore, if one small, painless lipoma appears, which does not bother the patient in any way, there is no need to visit a doctor or remove the lump. However, if more lipomas appear, start to hurt, enlarge, harden, change color or shape, or their surroundings become red or warm, medical intervention is definitely in order. You can also turn to experts from the EUC clinic.
