Why lipomas form

A person with a lipoma will typically feel a soft, oval-shaped lump just beneath the skin. Lipomas are usually painless unless they affect joints, organs, nerves, or blood vessels. In most cases, they do not cause other symptoms. A person with a lipoma that occurs deeper under the skin may not be able to see or feel it. However, a deep lipoma may place pressure on internal organs or nerves and cause associated symptoms. For example, a person with a lipoma on or near the bowels may experience nausea, vomiting, and constipation.

Lipomas are benign masses of fat cells. However, experts disagree about whether or not lipomas have the potential to become cancerous. A cancerous mass of fat cells is known as a liposarcoma. Based on research , many experts have concluded that liposarcomas do not develop from lipomas but are, in fact, a different type of tumor. They believe that doctors sometimes mistake liposarcomas for lipomas. Conversely, other experts think that lipomas may contain both cancerous and pre-cancerous cells, but that it is extremely rare for a lipoma to become cancerous.

It is fairly common for a person to develop a lipoma. Experts estimate that around 1 percent of people have a lipoma. People who have a family relative with one or more lipomas have a higher risk of developing this condition. Lipomas are also more likely to occur in people aged between 40 and 60 years old. People should always tell their doctor if they notice changes in a lipoma or if more lumps appear.

These changes might involve the lipoma:. They may start by inspecting and feeling the lump. If the lipoma is large or painful, the doctor may order tests to check if it is cancerous. Lipomas are usually harmless, so most people do not need to have surgery to remove them.

People may want to remove a lipoma that:. A doctor can often remove a lipoma surgically. One method is to make a small cut in the skin and then squeeze out the lipoma. The person is usually under local anesthesia during the procedure and should be able to return home on the same day.

A doctor may need to make a more significant incision to remove larger lipomas entirely. It is also possible to remove some lipomas using liposuction.

They tend to grow quickly, have an irregular shape, and are much more likely to be painful to the touch. As stated previously, the cause of lipomas is not well understood. They are:.

Lipomas are most common in people between the ages of 40 to 60, or middle aged adults. Lipomas are much more common in people who report a family history of developing lipomas.

Some medical conditions increase the risk of developing lipomas, such as Gardner syndrome, adiposis dolorosa, familial multiple lipomatosis, or Madelung disease. If they are bothering you physically, for example if you have a lipoma on the underside of your thigh and it hurts to sit down, then you may want to consider getting it removed.

Lipomas differ from liposarcomas fatty cancerous tumors. If you are concerned that your lipoma may be something else, we highly recommend that you have a doctor look at it and perform some screenings. Also contact us to learn about lipoma removal surgery long island.

Lipomas are usually just under the skin and feel soft to touch. They are usually shaped like a dome. But this depends on where in the body it is. For example, a lipoma might affect the bowel and can cause a blockage. If this happens you may become constipated and feel sick. To make a diagnosis your doctor will feel and look at your lump. In most cases your doctor can recognise and diagnose a lipoma easily. Sometimes you might need an ultrasound scan of the area. If any lipoma increases in size or becomes painful, you must tell your doctor, as it can be a sign that the lipoma is changing.

Lipomas can be confused with malignant cancerous tumours, called liposarcomas. Your doctor may feel it is best to remove it or take a biopsy so that they can be certain it is a lipoma.

They will also make a referral to a specialist. But in some cases, your doctor, or you, might want your lipoma removed.