Lipoma (fatty tumor)
Lipoma (fatty tumor)
Lipoma or fatty tumor is a benign tumor that develops from adipose tissue cells in the subcutaneous adipose tissue on the face, abdomen, back, etc.
The cause of the lipoma is the atypical fat cells of the subcutaneous adipose tissue laid down from birth.
An example of the location of lipomas with lipomatosis under the skin of the abdomen.
The cause of lipoma
The cause of lipoma and lipomatosis is a systemic impaired metabolic processes in adipose tissue. The occurrence of subcutaneous lipoma and lipomatosis is associated with a localized defect in the lipolysis process (destruction of fatty deposits under the skin).
The role of diseases of the liver, pancreas, hypofunction of the thyroid gland, and the pituitary gland are also debated among the causes of lipoma and lipomatosis.
Often lipomas and lipomatosis develop due to or against the background of alcoholism, diabetes, malignant tumors of the upper respiratory tract. Familial cases with the autosomal dominant inheritance of subcutaneous lipomas are described.
Diagnosis of lipoma
The lipoma is located where there is adipose tissue, most often under the skin. Favorite places of localization of lipomas under the skin (wen) are the back, upper and lower extremities, scalp (scalp, face).
To the touch, a lipoma under the skin is a soft knot without clear boundaries, painless, not welded to the surrounding tissues. The skin over the lipoma is not changed.
In appearance, atheromas and lipomas under the skin are very similar. Only a doctor can distinguish them by indirect signs. So, lipoma, as a rule, is located in places of accumulation of subcutaneous fatty tissue, and atheroma - in places of the greatest accumulation of sebaceous glands; also, upon close examination, atheroma has traces of the excretory duct - a clogged sebaceous gland. To the touch, these formations are of a similar consistency, but while atheroma is part of the skin, a lipoma is a subcutaneous formation that does not adhere to the surface of the skin.
Surgical treatment of lipoma
Treatment of lipomas under the skin is the only operative. If the lipomas under the skin are very large, the operation is best done in a hospital setting. If the lipoma under the skin is small, then the operation to remove it is performed on an outpatient basis. The operation to remove the lipoma under the skin is performed under local anesthesia.
After skin treatment and local anesthesia, an incision is made in the lipoma projection under the skin.
Lipoma (fatty tumor) under the skin is freely removed from the wound.
Stages of lipoma removal surgery
A skin incision is made over the lipoma, and then the fat accumulation is removed. Then the skin wound is sutured.
Skin healing after lipoma removal surgery occurs within 7-10 days. At the end of this period, the skin sutures are removed.
After hemostasis in the lipoma bed, skin sutures are applied under the skin.
See also
- Abscess
- Breast diseases (mastopathy, cyst, calcifications, fibroadenoma, intraductal papilloma, cancer)
- Bursitis
- Furuncle (boil)
- Ganglion cyst
- Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS)
- Ingrown toenail
- Lipoma (fatty tumor)
- Lymphostasis
- Paronychia, panaritium (whitlow or felon)
- Sebaceous cyst (epidermoid cyst)
- Tenosynovitis (infectious, stenosing)
