Lipoma is termed to be a lump that develops under the skin. It rather forms because of fat cells overgrowing. According to medical experts, lipomas are stated to be benign tumors, meaning non-cancerous growths. Although not dangerous to life, some might cause intense pain, various types of unwanted symptoms or complications. Hence, some people may prefer to have it removed permanently. A few tend to have concerns on its cosmetic appearance.
Its Formation
It is quite natural for lipomas to develop just about anywhere on the human body. This is on those areas where there are present fat cells. However, the common areas of appearance are the chest, shoulders, neck, trunk, armpits and thighs. In rare cases, they might develop in internal organs, muscles or even bones! If you find them developing in any part of the body of feel pain inside, you should consider Lipoma Removal London.
Appearance
Generally, they are soft and when pressed down tend to move a bit under the skin. They grow over months or years very slowly and reach about 2 to 3 centimeters in size. Giant lipomas may develop growing over 10 cm in size. This does appear quite ugly and needs to be removed at the earliest. It should be done medically and only by qualified doctors with sufficient exposure on the subject.
Causes
Doctors are still to understand fully the reasons for the development of a lipoma. A few people are found to inherit from their parents a faulty gene that could cause one or several lipomas. It is something rare and called ‘familial multiple lipomatosis’. It even develops frequently in those suffering from specific medical conditions like Cowden’s syndrome, Gardner’s syndrome, Adiposis dolorosa and Madelung’s disease. Some lipomas could result from injuries causing substantial impact upon the affected area.
Know the Symptoms
If you feel an oval shaped, soft lump developing right beneath the skin, then it is likely to be a lipoma. Usually, they are painless unless it affects the organs, joints, blood vessels or nerves. They might not cause any other symptoms in a few cases. The person developing a lipoma occurring deep within the skin might not feel or view it. But, deep lipoma is likely to place pressure upon the nerves or internal organs as well as cause related symptoms.
Implications on Health
These are regarded to be benign masses comprising of fat cells. But medical experts are of the opinion that may have the potentiality to become cancerous. Such types are referred to as ‘lipo sarcoma’. Several experts conclude that lipomas do not contribute to liposarcoma development. However, it is a different tumor type that needs immediate medical attention. Often, doctors might consider liposarcomas to be lipomas mistakenly. Others state that lipomas become cancerous only in extremely rare cases.
What are the Risks Involved?
Developing a lipoma is quite common among both men and women of all ages. About 1% of people tend to develop it. Those with someone in their family having single or multiple lipomas are likely to have higher risks to develop this particular condition. Those within the age of 40 to 60 are considered to face risks of its development. There are other risk factors to consider like high cholesterol, obesity, liver disease, diabetes and glucose intolerance.
When Should you Visit a Doctor?
If you find one or more lumps appearing on your body or notice changes in the lipoma, then you should visit the doctor immediately. Such changes may involve the following:
- Lipoma size increasing very fast.
- Becoming hot or red in color.
- Intense pain felt most of the time.
- Visible changes noticed in overlying skin.
- Converted into immovable or hard lump.
Diagnosis
Generally, lipomas diagnosed by carrying out a simple, but thorough physical examination of the affected area. The doctor inspects the lump and feels it. In case the lipoma is found to be painful or large, then the doctor could order several tests to determine if the developed formation is cancerous or not. Diagnosing the issue should be done immediately and not postponed to a later date to avoid unwanted complications and sleepless nights.
What are the Recommended Tests?
To find out if the developed lipomas are cancerous or not, doctors recommended their patients to undergo different types of tests. It includes CT scan, MRI scan, Ultrasonography scan. Biopsy may also be conducted if the doctor desires to take out a small cell sample from the lump. Then, this tissue is examined under the microscope to determine signs of cancer. Findings from the test are what determine the medications and next effective steps to be taken.