Have you discovered a lump under your skin? Lumps are a cause of concern for one main reason. They are considered a sign of cancer, but not all lumps are harmful. Various medical or skin conditions can lead to the development of lumps. However, the good news is they’re easily removed.
This article will help identify a lipoma lump, how it is caused, how you can identify it, and its diagnosis and treatment. Furthermore, we’ll discuss the available treatment and how an early ultrasound of a lipoma lump can help.
What is a Lipoma Lump?
The overgrowth of fatty cells under the skin defines a lipoma tumor. It feels squishy and soft on the touch, and if you apply pressure, it may move around. Lipomas are fairly common. 1 in 1000 people develop lipoma at least once.
Lipomas tend to occur on the fatty areas such as the shoulders, neck, chest, armpits, or thighs.
They can also develop in internal organs, muscles, or bones in rare cases. While lipomas are classified under tumors, these are noncancerous lumps and not harmful.
Lipomas have slow growth, and they can be as small as 2-3 centimeters or larger, up to 10 cm. They are most likely to affect people in the age bracket of 40 and 60 years. However, they can develop at any time and are found in both men and women.
Causes of Lipoma Lump:
There isn’t an understandable cause for the development of lipoma. It is believed that it may be genetic. The chances of lipomas occurring can increase due to the inheritance of certain gene markers. Development of lipomas due to family history seems to affect around 2 to 3 percent of people. This is known as familial multiple lipomatosis and is a rare cause of lipomas.
People with medical conditions such as Adiposis Dolorosa, Cowden syndrome, Madelung’s Syndrome, or Gardner’s Syndrome are more likely to develop lipomas. Research suggests that they can also develop due to injury that has significantly impacted the skin area.
Symptoms of a Lipoma Lump?
Anyone who has developed a lipoma tumor will feel a soft growth under the skin, typically oval-shaped. Unless lipomas develop in the organs, joints, or blood vessels, they are not painful.
It is impossible to detect lipomas through touch or feel that have developed deep under the skin. An ultrasound of lipoma may become necessary in this case. However, for a person to know if they have developed a deep lipoma, they may feel pressure on internal nerves or organs. In this case, a person may experience symptoms like vomiting, nausea, or constipation.
When Should You Visit a Doctor?
In most cases, lipomas are benign, and you may not have to visit a doctor. However, you must schedule an appointment with your GP if you notice it spreading or any changes in their growth.
Changes in lipomas that should prompt quick action include a sudden increase in its size or change in color. You should also visit the doctor if you experience sudden pain or the lump becoming hard and immovable.
Diagnosis of Lipoma Lump:
A physician usually detects a lipoma lump by conducting a physical examination. Doctors are trained to conduct an inspection and feel the lump. If it feels painful or is absurdly large, a biopsy may be conducted to detect signs of cancer.
Lipomas can often be confused with a cyst. In this case, imaging tests are the best course of action. An ultrasound of lipoma is effective in the diagnosis of superficial lipomas. It should be conducted as the first priority to rule out the possibility of a cyst. However, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI Scans) or computed tomography (CT Scans) are other options to detect lipomas.
Moreover, lipoma ultrasound images help identify its location and depth. It is important to rule out the possibility of lipomas affecting or pressing against blood vessels, tissues, or other nerves.
Treatment of Lipoma Lump:
The most common treatment option for a lipoma tumor is surgery. It is conducted if the lump is too large and continues to grow under the skin. An excision procedure is carried out to remove the lipoma by making an incision under general anesthesia. Once the growth is removed, the incision is closed and bandaged to heal properly.
Another treatment option for lipomas is liposuction since they are fat-based. This reduces their size, eliminating any discomfort they may be causing. However, liposuction does not guarantee complete removal of the lipoma, which is essential to prevent them from occurring again. A liposuction procedure cannot reach a lipoma under the muscle.
Is Removal of Lipoma Lump Necessary?
While most lipoma lumps do not cause any harm or pain, most people want to remove them for their appearance. However, you must have it removed if you have found out that it is cancerous, it’s growing quickly, affecting body functions, causing discomfort, and if it is not a lipoma, rather a cyst or another type of tumor.
Effects on Health Due to a Lipoma Lump:
A lipoma tumor is benign; however, there is disagreement among experts on whether it can become cancerous. Fat cells that appear as a lump under the skin and become cancerous are called liposarcoma and are similar in appearance to lipoma.
Evidence suggests that liposarcoma does not develop from lipoma and is a different type of tumor. However, due to their similar appearance, doctors can confuse the two.
EndNote:
Developing one or multiple lipoma lumps is fairly common. People who have a history of lipoma in their family are more likely to experience growth of this lump. However, a lipoma tumor is benign and not a cause of concern. Proper diagnosis through physical examination and ultrasound of lipoma is important in diagnosing and ruling out cancer.
Suppose you’ve spotted a lump, and it is causing pain or discomfort, growing in size quickly, and affecting the skin around it. In that case, it is crucial to schedule an appointment with your GP and request lipoma ultrasound images to rule out any possibility of a serious health concern.