A Lipoma is a fatty lump that is usually slow growing and frequently situated between the underlying muscle layer and the skin. It is not tender usually and moves by applying slight finger pressure. This is detected mostly in middle age; some individuals have beyond one. A lipoma is not carcinogenic and is not at all harmless. It does not require any treatment but if you find that lipoma is bothering you, growing, or painful, then you might get it removed.
Symptoms
It is a skin issue that can occur in any part of the body. The lipomas commonly occur in the shoulders, neck, back, arms, abdomen, and thighs. These can also move with gentle pressure using a finger. Lipomas are less than 5cms in diameter but can grow. It can be sometimes painful when it grows and put pressure on the adjacent nerves or if it contains several blood vessels. Thus, you need to get in touch with the Best Dermatologist London for consultation.
When to visit the doctor?
A lipoma is a rare serious medical issue, it is a fatty tumor. But when you notice any swelling or lump on any part of your body, make sure to get it checked by the Best Dermatologist London at the earliest. There is no particular reason for its development but it can be hereditary. Thus, the genetic factor plays a significant role in the development. Though lipoma can develop at any age it is most common in the age group between 40-60years.
Diagnosis
For detecting Lipoma, the doctor might perform a physical examination. Tissue is collected for biopsy. MRI, X-Ray, or CT scan is recommended if the doctor finds that the lipoma is large with unusual features or seems to be quite deep rather than fatty. There is a negligible chance that a lump resembling lipoma might be cancerous.
Types of lipomas
Lipomas are made up of fat and some also contain other tissues and blood vessels. There are different types of lipomas and are as follows:
- Angiolipoma: It contains blood vessels and blood and is often painful.
- Conventional: It is the most common type and comprises white blood cells.
- Fibro lipoma: This lipoma contains fibrous tissue and fat.
- Hibernoma: It contains brown fat. These fat cells produce heat and help in regulating the body temperature.
- Myelolipoma: It contains tissue and fat which produce blood cells.
- Spindle cells: These lipomas have fat cells which are longer than they are broader.
- Pleomorphic: It contains fat cells of different shapes and sizes.
Treatment
Mostly, lipomas do not require any treatment and if you find that it is troubling, get in touch with the dermatologist and the doctor will inform you about the Lipoma Removal Cost if the doctor finds that it needs to be removed surgically. The removal process is completely safe as well as effective and one can go home on the very day after the surgery is done.
Liposuction is another alternative to lipoma surgery and the doctor also recommends this process to the patients. For removing the fatty tissue from the growth, the doctor makes use of a thin and long needle.
Can it be prevented?
This is a question that looms large on the mind of many people. It is a hereditary disease that is passed down and cannot be prevented. One can lower the risk of the development of Madelung’s disease, an illness that causes lipoma to grow by restricting the alcohol intake amount.
Many people live with lipomas and hardly notice it and do not even need treatment. When the doctor finds it necessary to get removed, then the surgery is done. After the treatment is done, it hardly recurs but another one might grow in a different area on the body.
Final words
When you notice a knot or lump under the skin, get in touch with a doctor at the earliest. It is not something to be neglected. It is imperative to get examined and rule out serious issues like liposarcoma, a kind of cancer. Being a novice individual, it is not possible for you to detect, only an experienced and skilled doctor can do it. If it is to be removed, it can be done in the OPD.
