Overview
A lipoma is a fatty tissue that grows under a muscle layer or skin. Though it is considered a tumor, it is benign and is not harmful.
Lipomas are common and generally develop during the middle age between the ages of forty to sixty.
They typically may not need any treatment but some people may decide to remove them if they are causing symptoms like pain or for cosmetic reasons.
Lipomas can occur anywhere but are more common in the shoulders, thighs, armpits, or chest. In some rare cases, they may also develop internally in bones, muscles, or other organs.
They can be easily detected by a soft lump that can slightly move when pressed down.
What is the cause of a lipoma?
The exact cause of lipomas is not known. Some people develop one or multiple lipomas due to genetic causes, a condition known as familial multiple lipomatosis (FML).
There are certain risk factors and conditions that can cause lipomas:
Lack of physical activities
Lipomas may develop more in inactive people. A lack of physical exercise or a sedentary lifestyle may trigger the condition.
Age and gender
Lipomas are more likely to occur in the age group of 40 to 60 years. Research studies show that lipomas tend to occur more in men than in women.
Hereditary
People who have a family history of lipomas are at greater risk of developing the condition.
Medical conditions
Dercum’s disease is a rare disorder that can lead to multiple painful growths or lipomas mainly in the trunk, arms, and legs.
Gardner syndrome is an inherited disorder that can cause lipomas.
Madelung disease, also known as multiple symmetric lipomatosis (MSL) can cause fatty deposits in the neck, upper and lower limbs, torso, and abdominal area. This disease is often found in men with the problem of chronic alcohol consumption. MSL can cause lipoma growth in the shoulders and neck.
Other causes
Certain health conditions and treatments can increase the chances of developing lipomas:
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- High cholesterol
- Treatments with corticosteroids or insulin injections
- Physical trauma
Can a lipoma turn cancerous?
Lipomas are benign tumors which means that they are noncancerous. Many people misunderstand them as cancer but they are harmless fat deposits that grow superficially under the skin.
Sometimes, people confuse lipoma with liposarcoma which is a malignant tumor. A liposarcoma originates as a lump of fatty tissues and may look similar to a lipoma. But they grow deeper in the body and are immovable, hard lumps.
Liposarcomas can spread anywhere in the body. Liposarcoma has cancerous cells and is easily detected in a biopsy.
Lipomas consist of soft tissues that move easily when touched and grow at a very slow rate.
A lipoma is not a serious condition and may not need any treatment. However, they can grow in size and become larger with time and compress the surrounding blood vessels. A lipoma excision surgery is performed to remove lipomas if they are causing symptoms or for cosmetic reasons.
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