Lipoma

A lipoma is a slow-growing, fatty bump that often forms just beneath the skin, between the skin and the muscle. It feels soft and squishy, like dough, and typically isn't painful. You can usually move it slightly with your fingers. These bumps are commonly found in people during middle age, and some people can have more than one.

Lipomas are not cancerous and are usually not harmful. Most of the time, no treatment is needed. However, if a lipoma is causing you discomfort, is painful, or is getting bigger, you might want to consider having it removed by a doctor.

Fatty lumps, called lipomas, can develop almost anywhere in your body. They're usually:

• Close to the surface of your skin. Common places for them to appear are the neck, shoulders, back, belly, arms, and thighs. Imagine a little ball of fat nestled just beneath your skin.
• Soft and squishy. If you gently press on one, it will likely move around a bit. They feel like a soft, pliable mass.
• Relatively small in size. Most lipomas are smaller than about two inches across. However, they can sometimes get bigger. Think of a small, pea-sized lump, but they can grow larger, like a grape.
• Potentially painful. Sometimes, lipomas can cause pain if they grow large enough to press on nearby nerves. Or, if the lipoma has lots of blood vessels inside, it could also cause discomfort. This pain is not common, though.

Lipomas are usually not a cause for concern. They are harmless fatty tumors that often develop under the skin. While generally not dangerous, any new lump or swelling, regardless of location, should be examined by a doctor to rule out other possible conditions. It's always best to have any unusual growths checked out.

Lipomas, which are fatty tumors, often appear in families. This suggests that genes may be involved in their formation. Scientists haven't completely figured out why lipomas develop, but heredity is a strong possibility.

Lipomas are fatty lumps that can sometimes develop under the skin. While they can happen at any age, they're more frequently found in people between the ages of 40 and 60. This means age plays a role in the likelihood of getting one.

Another factor is family history. If you have a family member with lipomas, you might have a higher chance of developing them yourself. This suggests that genetics can increase your risk.

To figure out if a lump is a lipoma, your doctor might do a few things.

A lipoma is a harmless fatty tumor. However, there's a very small possibility that a lump that looks like a lipoma could actually be a type of cancer called liposarcoma. Liposarcomas are tumors that grow in fatty tissue, and they often grow quickly. Crucially, they usually don't move when you push on them, and they tend to be painful. If your doctor thinks liposarcoma is a possibility, they'll likely order a biopsy or imaging tests like an MRI or CT scan.

To get a diagnosis, these steps might be taken:

• Physical Exam: Your doctor will feel the lump to check its size, shape, and how it feels. This helps them get a general idea of what's going on.
• Biopsy: A small piece of the lump is removed and sent to a lab for examination under a microscope. This is the most important test to determine if the lump is a lipoma or something else. The lab can look for cancer cells.
• Imaging Tests (X-ray, MRI, CT scan): These tests create pictures of the inside of your body. They are especially helpful if the lipoma is large, has unusual features (like a hard spot), or seems to be deeper under the skin than expected. These tests can help your doctor see the size, location, and characteristics of the lump, which helps in the diagnosis process.

Lipomas are usually harmless fatty growths. Most people don't need any treatment. However, if a lipoma is causing discomfort, pain, or is getting bigger, a doctor might suggest removing it. There are a couple of ways to do this:

• Surgery: The most common method is surgical removal. This involves cutting the lipoma out. It's important to know that lipomas rarely come back after surgery. Possible side effects include some scarring and bruising. A special surgical technique called "minimal excision" can sometimes leave less noticeable scarring. This involves carefully removing just the lipoma, minimizing the amount of surrounding tissue cut.

• Liposuction: Another treatment option is liposuction. This method uses a thin needle and a suction device to remove the fatty tissue of the lipoma.