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Introduction
A lipoma is a growth of fat cells in a thin, fibrous
capsule usually found just below the skin. Lipomas are
found most often on the torso, neck, upper thighs,
upper arms, and armpits, but can occur almost anywhere
in the body. They can vary from walnut size to that of
a large baseball and usually have a soft, rubbery
feel. Types of lipomas include the superficial
subcutaneous lipoma, the intramuscular lipoma, the
spindle cell lipoma, the angiolipoma, the benign
lipoblastoma, and the lipomas of tendon sheaths,
nerves, synovium, periosteum, and the lumbosacral
area. The most common type is the superficial
subcutaneous lipoma.
Causes
The cause of lipomas is not
completely understood, but the tendency to develop
them is inherited. A minor injury may trigger the
growth. Being overweight does not cause lipomas.
Symptoms
Symptoms of lipoma include soft, moveable lumps
under the skin that are sometimes painful to the
touch.
Treatment
Treatment for lipomas may not be required, however
in most cases they can be surgically removed if they
are very large, painful, or cosmetically unattractive.
Most lipomas can be removed in the doctor's office or
outpatient surgery center. The doctor injects a local
anesthetic around the lipoma, makes an incision in the
skin, removes the growth, and closes the incision with
stitches. If the lipoma is in an area of the body that
cannot be easily reached through a simple incision in
the skin, the lipoma may need to be removed in the
operating room under general anesthesia.
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