Lipoma

A lipoma is a soft fatty lump. It is a benign (non-cancerous) growth made up from fat cells that clump together. A lipoma can occur in any part of the body where there are fat cells.

Lipomas under the skin are the most common
Lipomas often form in the fatty tissue under the skin. These are also the most noticeable ones as they look and feel like soft, dome-shaped lumps under the skin. They vary in size from pea size to several centimeters in diameter. The most common sites where lipomas develop are on the shoulders, the chest and the back, but other areas of the skin can develop a lipoma.

Other parts of the body
Lipomas can form inside the body too. However, in most of these cases you will not be aware that you have a lipoma as you cannot see them and they rarely cause any problems.

Who gets lipomas and how common are they?

Anyone can develop a lipoma at any age. Lipomas are common - about 1 in 100 people develop one or more lipomas. Some people inherit a tendency to develop lipomas and may have several on different parts of the body. Sometimes as many as 20 or more develop. However, it is more common to develop just one or two.

What are the symptoms of a lipoma and are they harmful?

In themselves, lipomas are not serious and most lipomas cause no symptoms or problems. They grow very slowly. Sometimes a lipoma under the skin can be unsightly if it grows to be several centimeters across. Rarely, a lipoma may press on another structure and cause problems. For example, if one presses on a nerve it may cause pain. Also, rarely, a lipoma may develop in the gut wall and cause problems such as pain or a blockage of the gut.

Sometimes a scan or other investigation that is done for other reasons may detect a lipoma inside the body by chance.

Do lipomas ever turn cancerous?

The short answer is no. One medical reference source states "Lipomas may rarely undergo sarcomatous change (that is - change into a type of cancer). However, the event has never been convincingly documented." So, if it does happen, it is very rare.

Do I need any treatment for a lipoma?

Usually not. If you are not bothered by a lipoma that develops, then it is best just to leave it alone. However, some people want lipomas that are unsightly to be removed for cosmetic reasons. Occassionally, a lipoma needs to be removed if it is causing symptoms such as pressure symptoms. Sometimes a lipoma inside the body is removed to look at under the microscope to make sure the 'growth' that had been detected is a lipoma and not something more serious.

For a lipoma that forms under the skin, usually it can be removed by a simple minor operation. Some local anaesthetic is injected into the skin over the lipoma. Once the overlying skin is 'numbed' by the local anaesthetic, an incision (cut) is made over the lipoma. The lipoma is then pulled up out of the cut and cut away from the underlying tissue. The wound is then stitched up. A fine scar will be left.

© EMIS and PIP 2005   Updated: December 2005