A lipoma is a benign lump of fatty tissue that usually lies between your skin and the underlying muscle.
And while finding any lump on your body can be scary, lipomas are most likely harmless.
However, they still need to be checked by your doctor, just to be safe.
Lipomas are generally not painful, and they dont produce symptoms.
(2)
Whats crucial (and reassuring) to know is that lipomas are not cancerous.
Your doctor will check that to monitor the lipoma.
(3) Others think that the lipoma already exists and is brought to light because of the injury.
Here are some possible risk factors:
How Is Lipoma Diagnosed?
Your doctor will take your medical history and perform a physical exam.
But your doctor may want to take a small sample of the lump to be examined under a microscope.
The goal of these screening methods is to rule out liposarcoma, a rare cancer of the fatty tissue.
Prognosis of Lipoma
The outlook for lipomas is often very good.
People with lipomas are not more likely to develop liposarcoma.
Atypical lipomas may turn into liposarcoma, but it is rare.
The only treatment that will completely remove the lipoma is surgery.
Liposuction may also be used.
In this procedure, the lump will be withdrawn through a needle and into a large syringe.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, liposuction is associated with a higher rate of recurrence.
(9,10)
There may be complications from their removal.
Research and Statistics: Who Has Lipoma?
Their incidence is 2.1 per 1,000 individuals each year.
(4) They may affect 1 percent of the population.
(4) They are slightly more common in men than women.
Five percent of people with lipomas have more than one of them, according to StatPearls.
Derrow also covers health for New York Presbyterian/Weill-Cornell Hospital in New York City.
She has ghost edited a number of health books and health-related memoirs.
Sources
Skin Conditions
Whats Causing the Lump on My Shoulder?
What Is a Skin Lump?
Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention
