A lipoma is a bump under the skin that is often troubling. Very often, however, there is a harmless cause behind it: A lipoma is a harmless new formation of fatty tissue. Lipomas do not necessarily have to be treated. Sometimes they hurt but become very tall or visually disturbing. Then a doctor can remove the lipoma. Read more about causes and therapies of the lipoma.
Lipoma: description
A lipoma is one benign tumor of adipose tissuewhich usually causes no discomfort. It is therefore also called a fat tumor. The lipoma belongs to the soft tissue tumors. It consists of adipose tissue cells enclosed by a capsule of connective tissue.
As a rule, a lipoma is harmless, rarely a benign tumor develops from this benign soft tissue tumor. Lipomas are especially important over 30 year olds before, rarely in children. Men get these bumps under the skin a little more often than women.
Lipomas are usually directly under the skin (subcutaneous) and are therefore palpable from the outside as round or oval nodes. Less often, a lipoma can also grow in the musculature or in the area of the lumbar spine and the sacrum. If a lipoma on the head, it can also be a so-called subfascial lipoma act. Subfascial means that it lies beneath a layer of connective tissue (fascia) that surrounds a muscle. The subfascial lipoma on the head often grows at the transition from the forehead to the hair. Other sites where subfascial lipomas often occur are the neck and the scapular area.
The lipoma is very common, mainly on the arms and legs, shoulders and neck, and on the abdomen and flanks. Sometimes also many lipomas occur simultaneously. Physicians then speak of lipomatosis. Also in the context of hereditary disease neurofibromatosis occur more lipomas.
A lipoma grows slowly and usually only a few inches large. Rarely, however, can a lipoma reach a diameter of more than ten centimeters (giant lipoma). A special form is this angiolipoma, This lipoma contains blood vessels that are usually blocked (thrombosed). The angiolipoma often causes pain. Especially young men are affected. In more than half of the cases, multiple angiolipomas occur simultaneously.
Another special form is the Spindle cell lipoma, which occurs mainly in men between 45 and 60 years and is usually on the back, neck or on a shoulder. The spindle cell lipoma usually causes no discomfort.
Lipoma: symptoms
Mostly a lipoma causes no symptoms. Sufferers often notice just a bump under the skin, which feels plump and rubbery and can be easily moved. Sometimes it causes pain when the lipoma is pressed. Depending on the location of the lipoma, it can also cause pain when it is pushed or stretched during movement. Angiolipomas can also be painful without external influences.
Lipoma: causes and risk factors
Why the knots under the skin arise is still not known, A genetic predisposition may encourage a lipoma to grow. However, this has not been clearly proven to be the cause of single lipomas.
Also the causes of lipomatosis, in which many lipomas occur simultaneously, are not yet fully elucidated. Frequently, lipomatosis occurs in patients who also Metabolic disorders like diabetes mellitus or high levels of uric acid (hyperuricemia). Whether they really are the lipoma causes is unclear. It also discusses whether high blood lipid levels (hyperlipidemia) can lead to lipomas.
There is a hereditary disease in which lipomas sometimes occur more frequently: the neurofibromatosis, In addition to so-called neurofibromas, which give the disease the name, in part also many lipomas grow. Depending on the type of disease they are found mainly on the body or on the arms and legs.
Lipoma: examinations and diagnosis
Anyone who sees lumps under the skin should always consult a doctor to rule out a malignant tumor. The doctor scans to the bump under the skin. He pays particular attention to whether this can be easily moved, and is well separated from the rest of the tissue. Then follows one Ultrasound and / or X-ray examination, This often allows the physician to differentiate the lipoma from cysts and other neoplasms (e.g., fibroma). You can also see how big the knot under the skin is exactly. This is important because a lipoma is often larger than it can be felt by the skin.
If, after these examinations, it is still not certain whether the lump under the skin is actually a lipoma, one will tissue sample taken and examined under the microscope histologically.
A lipoma can also arise in the female breast. In this case, the doctor usually takes the bump under the skin to rule out that it is a liposarcoma. This is a malignant soft tissue tumor.
Lipoma: treatment
A lipoma does not necessarily require therapy. If it visually bothers the sufferer, hurts or is very large, the doctor can Remove lipoma, There are various possibilities for this, depending on how big the lipoma is and at which body site it is.
By a surgery The lipoma can be completely removed with its connective tissue capsule. It is particularly easy to cut lipomas that are directly under the skin: a surgeon cuts the skin over the lipoma and pushes it out. The patient usually receives one local anesthesia, For very large or numerous lipomas, general anesthesia may be necessary. Somewhat more complex is to remove a subfascial or muscular lipoma, as it first has to be exposed under the connective tissue or muscle. Nevertheless, a local anesthesia is usually enough. Then the surgeon sutures the wound and puts on a pressure bandage. Mostly it stays one after that scar, With lipomatosis, the doctor can often remove multiple lipomas without the need for a second procedure.
Who wants to remove a lipoma, should be aware that even a small operation too complications can lead. Bleeding may occur, the wound may become infected or heal badly. If general anesthesia is necessary, this also involves risks. Usually, however, complications rarely occur.
A newer way to remove a lipoma is the liposuction (Liposuction). This means that the lipoma is not cut out, but aspirated. The advantage of this method is that less scar tissue arises as in an operation. However, it is not always possible to completely aspirate the lipoma together with its connective tissue capsule. Then the lipoma can continue to grow. Therefore, surgical removal is still the preferred treatment. Discuss with your doctor which procedure is best for you.
Lipoma: Disease course and prognosis
The lipoma has one good prognosis, There is very little risk that a malignant tumor develops from the benign lipoma. A treatment is usually not necessary. Anyone who is bothered by the knot under the skin can have it removed by a doctor. However, it can always be a new one lipoma form.