Lipoma: Causes, Symptoms, And Treatment

Lipoma: Causes, Symptoms, And Treatment

Write short note on lipoma.

Answer. Lipoma is a benign neoplasm arising from yellow fat.

Often it can be hyperplasia or combination of neoplasm and hyperplasia.

• It is the most common benign tumor
• It is also called as universal tumor (ubiquitous tumor) as it can occur anywhere in the body except brain.

“Understanding The Causes Of Lipoma Formation”

Types Of Lipoma

• Localized (encapsulated): Localized lipoma is encapsulated with yellowish orange.
• Color.
• Diffse (nonencapsulated): Diffse lipomas are not encapsulated and not localized. It is common in palm, sole, head,neck. lt is seen in subcutaneous and intermuscular tissues.
• Superficial lipomas: They are more common; common in subcutaneous plane. It is common in back, neck, proximal extremities and abdomen. It is commonly less than 5 cm,but can attin large size.

“Symptoms Of Lipoma Growth”

• Deep lipomas: They are commonly intramuscular, but often may be intermuscular; often both intraand intermuscular (infitrating lipoma). They are common in lower limbs (45%), trunk (l7%), shoulder and upper limb. They attin large size compared to superfiial lipomas.
• Single lipoma: It is common. It is usually superfiial in subcutaneous plane but can be deep also.
• Multiple lipomas: They are l5% common; common in males (6:1). Common in back, shoulder and upper arm; can be symmetrical. It can be associated with many syndromes like multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN), Cowden’s,Frohlich syndromes, etc.
• Hibernoma: Benign tumor arising from brown fat is called as hibernoma (reddish brown), which has got serpentine vascular elements.
• Fibrolipoma: Lipoma with firous component is called as firolipoma.
• Naevolipoma: Lipoma with telangiectasis is called as naevolipoma.
• Neurolipoma: (with nerve tissue and is painful), angiolipoma (with vascular element), myolipoma, chondroid lipoma, spindle cell lipoma, pleomorphic lipoma-are different types
• Depending on the type of nonadipose component associated.

“Causes Of Lipoma Under The Skin”

Lipoma Clinical Features

• Localized swelling, which is lobular (surface), nontender.
• Oftenflctuantlike feel but actually not(because fatinbody temperature remains soft). It is usually nontransilluminant.
• Mobile, with edges slipping between the palpating figer (slip sign).
• Skin is free.
• Lipomas may be pedunculated at times.
• It is rare in children.
• Pain in lipoma may be due to neural element or compression to nerves or adjacent structures. Angiolipoma was being highly vascular is commonly tender.
• Trunk is the most common site; nape of neck and limbs are next common.
• Clinically lipoma can be single, multiple or diffse.

“Best Ways To Manage Lipoma”

Lipoma Differential Diagnosis

• Neurofiroma: It moves horizontally but not longitudinally along the line of nerve. Neurofiroma is fimer.
• Cystic swellings like dermoid, sebaceous cyst.
• Liposarcoma: All lipomas are benign. Large lipoma should be diffrentiated from liposarcoma.

“Risk Factors For Developing Lipoma”

Lipoma Investigations

• Ultrasound or CT or MR imaging is done in deep or large or intracavitary lipomas.
• FNAC or incision biopsy is needed in large or deep or intracavitary lipomas to confim it as benign.

“Early Signs Of Lipoma Formation”

Lipoma Complications

• Myxomatous changes—occurs in retroperitoneal lipoma.
• Saponifiation
• Calcifiation—11% mineralization.
• Submucosal lipoma can cause intussusception and so intestinal obstruction.

Lipoma Treatment

• Excision should be done if lipomas are painful. Small lipoma is excised under local anesthesia and larger one under general anesthesia.
• Percutaneous liposuction is relatively new treatment option