Lipoma removal

 

What is a lipoma?
A lipoma is a round, noncancerous moveable lump under the skin, ranging from pea-sized to as big as an egg. They are soft and grow in the layer of fatty tissue beneath the skin, usually on the chest, back, shoulders, neck, and upper arms and thighs. Lipomas grow slowly, but one lipoma may lead to the development of several.

What causes a lipoma to form?
The exact cause is unclear, but tendency to develop multiple lipomas is hereditary. Sometimes they form in the same place a bruise or other injury occurred.

How common are lipomas?
Lipomas are the most common non-malignant tumor. Approximately one in every thousand people report lipomas. Most people develop them after the age of 40, and women tend to get them more.

Will I get more than one lipoma?
Some people develop only one, while others may develop several. Your lipomas may be larger and may cluster together..

Do lipomas hurt?
Most lipomas don't hurt, but there is a rare type that does called an angiolipoma. They're painful because blood vessels are scattered throughout the fatty tissue. If you have many painful fast-growing lipomas that reappear after removal, you may have Dercum's Disease (Adiposis Dolorosa), a rare hereditary condition in which multiple fatty deposits put pressure on nerve endings, causing extreme pain.

How is a lipoma diagnosed?
It's typically easy to diagnose if the bulge is soft and depresses when your doctor touches it. A biopsy may be done to confirm the diagnosis and to make sure it's not confused with something cancerous.

How is a lipoma treated?
Using local anesthesia, a small incision will be made to remove the fatty tissue deposit, and some doctors even use liposuction. Small lipoma can be observed if they're not growing or causing any discomfort.