A lipoma is a slowly growing fat lump between the skin and the muscle layer. JIf you press slowly with your finger,lipoma feels soft and easy to shake. Lipomas also do not cause pain when pressed.
Lipomas are more common in people aged 40-60 years or middle age, and are more common in men than women. Some patients may have more than one lipoma in their body.
Lipomas do not require special treatment because they are harmless and non-malignant. However, lipoma removal surgery can be done if this benign tumor grows large and starts to cause pain.
Lipoma Symptoms
Lipomas can appear anywhere on the body, but they usually appear on the back, thighs, neck, arms, abdomen, or shoulders. Sometimes, lipomas can appear on the head or back of the head. The lumps that appear have the following characteristics:
- It can grow bigger, from the size of a marble to the size of a ping pong ball.
- The growth of the lump is very slow.
- Tastes mushy with a consistency like beef fat.
- Easy to shake.
The lump can be painful if it gets bigger and presses on the nerves around it.
When to ke doctor
A lump on the surface of the body is not necessarily a lipoma, it could be a cyst or even a malignant tumor (cancer) which can be fatal if not treated immediately.
You are advised to consult a doctor if you find a lump in any area of the body and whatever its characteristics, whether it is small or large, soft or hard, movable or not, and painful or not.
Causes of Lipoma
The exact cause of lipomas is not known, but there are several factors that can increase a person's risk of developing lipomas, namely:
- Descendants.
- 40-60 years old.
- Have certain diseases, such as Madelung's disease, Cowden's syndrome, Gardner's syndrome, or adiposis dolorosa.
Lipoma Diagnosis
Lipoma can be identified through a physical examination by looking and feeling the characteristics of the lump. Usually no further examination is required. But to make sure the cause of the lump is a lipoma, the doctor can do:
- ultrasound
- CT scan
- MRI
- Biopsy
These various examinations are performed to ensure that the lump is not a malignant tumor, such as fatty tissue cancer (liposarcoma).
PetreatLipoma
Lipomas often do not require special treatment, because they are not dangerous. However, there are several steps that can be taken if a lipoma is uncomfortable, painful or bothersome, and it continues to grow in size.
The most common way to treat lipomas is surgical removal of the lump. Usually a lipoma will not grow back after it is removed.
In addition to surgical removal of the lump, liposuction or corticosteroid injections can be performed to shrink the size of the lipoma. However, these two methods cannot completely eliminate lipomas.