A Layman’s Guide to Lipoma

A LAymAn’s Guide to LipomA A bubble or lump-like structure formed beneath the surface of your skin is called a lipoma. This is a kind of medical condition that can appear during birth or in later stages of life. These structures can be slightly moved using a finger and have no effect on the health of a person.

However, if the growth is related to some tumor, then it may cause several complications in the future. To be certain about Lipoma, one should consult with a doctor. Only after conducting some tests, a doctor can figure out the severity of the problem.

Lipomas generally do not require any medical procedures for treatment. But if these structures are causing a disturbance in your daily life, then you can remove them. The removal process is simple and does not cause any side effects in patients.

Introduction to Lipoma Lipomas are round formations that are soft to touch. These lumps are made of fatty tissues that grow under the skin. The size of a lipoma varies in each person.

Also, these structures can be located in any part of the body.

Lipomas do not cause any pain. You can press these fatty tissues without any discomfort. But if there is any pain while touching these lumps, then it can be an early symptom of some underlying problem. There is no exact reason for the development of these lumps. But it is a common condition that can happen at any age.

Factors Responsible for Lipoma As stated earlier, lipomas can be formed without any reason on an individual’s body. Though, some common factors that can cause this condition are listed below: Multiple Symmetric Lipomatosis This condition is associated with people who have a high amount of alcohol consumption. It is also named Madelung’s disease in which multiple lipomas can grow in the neck and shoulder area.

Gardner Syndrome Also known as Familial Adenomatous Polyposis is a type of syndrome that causes several medical problems including lipomas.

Adiposis Dolorosa This is an uncommon form of lipoma that is also called Dercum’s disease. Due to this condition, a patient can suffer from several painful lipomas that can grow in limbs and trunk regions.

Multiple Lipomatosis Hereditary or Familial Multiple Lipomatosis is an abnormal growth of lipomas that happens due to a genetic disorder.

What are the symptoms?

These lumps can be easily viewed by a naked eye. Apart from the general physical appearance, people can spot lipomas with the following symptoms: Painless Structures Lipomas do not harm our bodies. But if there is some nerve or blood vessel trapped near the lump, then it may cause pain while touching or moving the lipoma.

Round or Oval shape The general shape of these tissues is round or oval. Also, the tissues do not extend from any side and are mostly in a compact formation.

Encapsulated in a particular Region The tissues inside a lipoma do not spread into other tissues. The structure remains the same even after moving with a finger.

Easily Moveable These lumps can be moved with minimal pressure.

Small in size A lipoma can range from a pea-sized form to a few inches in diameter. But some categories of lipomas can have a width of six inches or more.

How is it Diagnosed?

The first phase of examining such a medical problem is the physical test. The doctor will examine the lump on your body. The lump will be moved a little to check for any pain or discomfort. If the patient suffers from any problem while moving the lipoma tissue, then further tests are conducted.

The second step is to conduct a biopsy. A biopsy is a blood test where a small sample of blood is taken from the patient’s body that is sent to a laboratory for further examination. The test can reveal if the patient is having certain kinds of abnormalities. It is mainly performed to check for any signs of cancer cells.

After these initial tests, the doctor may perform digital tests on the lipoma to get a clear picture of the fatty tissue. Such tests include CT-Scan, MRIs, and Ultrasound. These scans provide the correct information of the lipoma by showing the region covered by tissues. They also help in finding the nerves that are squeezed below the lipoma.

Available Treatments If there is a need to remove a lipoma, then the patient can either go for surgery or liposuction. A surgical procedure can completely remove the tissue, while liposuction removes fat molecules from a targeted area.

Where to Look for a Cure?

For the treatment of lipomas, one can visit a medical center offering lipoma removal Singapore. It is a short process that can help you with this medical problem. If the lump is a form of a cyst, then you can also go for a cyst removal Singapore.