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When your doctor tells you that the lump under the skin is a lipoma, your first reflex is the thought: cancer. And rightly so. Should you be afraid of lipomas?
Lipomas are benign tumors of the connective tissue. Although these are cancerous changes, you should not be afraid of them. However, for your own safety, report any noticed changes to your family doctor as soon as possible. Only a doctor can clearly state whether we are dealing with a harmless lipoma or with a lesion of a different nature that requires more caution. If a lipoma is diagnosed, it’s worth keeping the lump under control. Why? Because lipomas grow – very slowly, but still. And large tumors, even if they do not become malignant, can cause a lot of trouble, not only of an aesthetic nature.
Lipomas – where can they appear?
Lipomas most often appear in the subcutaneous tissues, but there are also those that form a little deeper in the body near the internal organs; finally, there are also those that arise on the skin or in the heart. Theoretically, they can develop anywhere on the body, but are most commonly found on the trunk and limbs. Sometimes it is a single tumor, sometimes many lesions develop in a specific area and then they are called multiple lipomas.
Changes in surface tissues are easy to see and feel. Lipomas are soft and can be slightly moved, usually they also have a clearly delineated shape – oblong or oval, which they retain thanks to the sheath of the connective tissue capsule. It also happens that the cells of lipomas extend beyond the surrounding sheath and overgrow the surrounding tissues.
Lipomas – why do they arise?
We do not know the final answer to this question yet. However, there are two main hypotheses that try to explain the formation of lipomas. One of them is related to the structure of these tumors. If a fragment of a lipoma was examined under a microscope, it would turn out that it consists mainly of mature fat cells, the so-called adipocytes. As a result of the action of certain particles of the immune system and inflammatory factors, the growth and division of healthy, fully mature fat cells would be stimulated.
Another hypothesis suggests that lipomas are the result of genetic predisposition – this most often applies to multiple lipomas, which are sometimes observed in members of one family.
Lipomas – when do they tease?
Lipomas are harmless, but they have one major disadvantage: they grow. Small and single nodules, apart from aesthetic discomfort, do not cause any discomfort. Major changes (a few or several centimeters in size) or multiple lipomas may prove troublesome. Large-sized lipomas can cause pain – this is because the growing lesion puts pressure on the surrounding tissues or nerves. If the lipoma is located in deeper parts of the body, it may adversely affect the work of internal organs. As a result, depending on the location of the lesion and its size, there may be difficulties in breathing, renal dysfunction, development of hypertension, edema, and in extreme cases even jaundice, bleeding from bursting vessels or anemia.
Large lipomas are a serious aesthetic problem – especially when they are located on the head or in such places of the body that even covering with clothing will not mask the presence of a tumor or tumors.
Also read: What is painful lipomatosis?
Lipomas – do you need to remove?
In this matter, it is best to rely on the doctor’s opinion and take into account your comfort of life. Due to the fact that lipomas are harmless, the decision to remove them is most often made when they disfigure, disturb, cause discomfort, pain or other disorders. It should be remembered that it is always easier to remove a small lipoma – the procedure is simpler and the wound is smaller.
Lipomas can be removed in two ways: by performing a standard surgical procedure – the patient receives local anesthesia, the specialist removes the lesion with the surrounding connective tissue capsule after making the incision with the scalpel and sutures the wound; the seams are removed after a week. The second method is liposuction from the area affected by the tumor – the procedure is similar to liposuction performed in people who want to get rid of excess adipose tissue: a thin needle is inserted into the lesions, through which the fat is sucked off; this method is recommended for people with a lipoma in the form of many small nodules.
Most often, lipoma removal does not require going to the hospital – procedures are performed on an outpatient basis, and patients, provided with painkillers, return home on the same day. Painkillers are prescribed for the time when the anesthesia stops working, and then the fresh wound may (but does not have to) hurt. In a situation where a very large lipoma is removed or a lipoma is located adjacent to an important organ, more serious surgery may be necessary under general anesthesia.
Lipomas – is it worth removing?
This question will be answered in the affirmative by any person who felt disfigured because of lipomas or whose general health was inadequate as a result of the pressure caused by a growing tumor. Small and single lipomas usually do not cause problems – at least until they grow tall. Life becomes more complicated when there are many lipomas, and their “rash” occurred in a place that cannot be covered with clothing – then it is worth discussing the possibilities of solving the problem with the doctor in advance. It’s always better to remove small changes. Even small scars – even the numerous ones – can be masked quite simply thanks to the achievements of aesthetic surgery or advanced dermatological techniques.
One thing is certain: lipomas, although not malignant, can make life difficult over time. Therefore, it is not worth delaying a visit to the doctor.