Finding a lump beneath your skin can be concerning, but not every lump is a sign of cancer. It may be a lipoma, a benign growth made up of fat cells that develops just beneath the skin. Lipomas are one of the most common types of soft tissue tumors, affecting about 1 in every 1,000 people. Fortunately, lipomas are typically harmless and rarely require treatment.
What causes lipomas?
The exact cause of lipomas is not fully understood. However, genetics appear to play an important role, as lipomas often run in families. Researchers have also suggested that lipomas may occasionally develop in areas where an injury has occurred, although the relationship is not fully understood.
“Lipomas are most often diagnosed in adults between the ages of 40 and 60, but they can occur at any age,” said Duane Tull, MD, FACS, a board-certified surgeon with Penn Highlands General Surgery. “Anyone can develop a lipoma, although they are slightly more common in women.”
Several inherited disorders are associated with the development of multiple lipomas, including:
- Hereditary multiple lipomatosis, an inherited condition characterized by multiple lipomas
- Dercum’s disease (adiposis dolorosa), a rare disorder that causes multiple painful lipomas
- Gardner syndrome, a form of familial adenomatous polyposis that can cause lipomas along with other health conditions
- Madelung’s disease (multiple symmetric lipomatosis), which most commonly affects men who drink alcohol excessively and causes lipomas to develop around the neck and shoulders
Other factors that may increase the likelihood of developing a lipoma include:
- Obesity
- Alcohol use disorder
- Liver disease
- Glucose intolerance
What are the signs and symptoms of a lipoma?
Lipomas often do not cause symptoms and may go unnoticed for years because they grow slowly.
In many cases, they are discovered only after a person notices a lump beneath the skin. A lipoma is typically:
- Soft, doughy, or rubbery to the touch
- Round or oval-shaped
- Easily moveable with gentle pressure
- The same color as the surrounding skin
- Less than 2 inches in diameter, although some can grow much larger
Most lipomas are painless. However, they can become uncomfortable if they grow large enough to press on a nearby nerve or develop close to a joint. Lipomas that contain many blood vessels may also cause pain.
Although they can form almost anywhere on the body, lipomas most commonly develop just beneath the skin on the neck, shoulders, back, arms, thighs, trunk and forehead. While many people have only one lipoma, some may develop multiple growths.
How are lipomas treated?
“Most lipomas do not require treatment because they are benign and typically do not cause health problems,” said Dr. Tull. “However, if a lipoma becomes painful, continues to grow or causes discomfort due to its size or location, we may recommend treatment.”
Treatment options include:
- Surgical removal: Surgery is the most common and effective treatment for a lipoma. During this outpatient procedure, the provider makes a small incision to remove the growth, usually using local anesthesia. Most people can return home the same day. Lipomas rarely return after they have been completely removed, although a new lipoma may develop elsewhere on the body.
- Liposuction: Liposuction uses a thin needle to remove fatty tissue from the lipoma and may be an option for some patients. While this procedure can reduce the size of the growth, it may not remove the lipoma completely, making recurrence more likely.
- Steroid injections: In some cases, steroid injections may be used to shrink a lipoma. However, this treatment does not remove the growth entirely.
Your healthcare provider will recommend the most appropriate treatment based on the lipoma’s size, location, whether it is causing pain and whether it continues to grow. It is important to have any new lump or swelling evaluated by a healthcare provider. A prompt diagnosis can confirm whether the growth is a lipoma and rule out other conditions.
The general surgery team at Penn Highlands Healthcare provides expert care for lipomas and a wide range of other conditions requiring surgical treatment. Whether a procedure is planned or an urgent surgical need arises, patients can count on their experienced surgeons to deliver skilled, compassionate care every step of the way. Learn more at www.phhealthcare.org/surgery.
