Lipomas are round or oval-shaped lumps of tissue that form just beneath the skin. They’re noncancerous and rarely require treatment unless their location causes discomfort.
Lipomas are very common, occurring in about
Doctors classify lipomas as benign growths, or tumors, of fatty tissue. This means they’re not cancerous and rarely harmful.
Still, if you notice a lump beneath your skin, you should see a doctor for a diagnosis. A lipoma can look very similar to other, more serious conditions, such as liposarcoma, a rare cancer.
This article takes a closer look at lipomas, including their potential causes, symptoms, and treatment.
The cause of lipomas is largely unknown.
There may be a genetic link in people with multiple lipomas. Around
Some
- adiposis dolorosa, or Dercum’s disease (a rare disorder characterized by multiple, painful lipomas)
- Cowden syndrome
- Gardner’s syndrome (infrequently)
- Madelung’s disease
- Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome
- obesity
- alcohol use disorder
- liver disease
- glucose intolerance
A lipoma is typically:
- Encapsulated: meaning they don’t spread to surrounding tissues
- Painless: unless they’re located in a place that’s uncomfortable
- Moveable: they’re soft and move when you touch them
- Smaller than 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter: however, some can grow up to 6 inches (15 cm)
- The same color as your skin
A lipoma can form on any part of the body, but they typically appear on the:
- neck
- shoulders
- arms
- thighs
Lipomas may vary in shape and size, and they may also appear differently on different body parts. Below are images of lipomas in different locations on the body.
There are various types of lipomas. Doctors distinguish them by how their tissue appears under a microscope.
Types of lipomas include:
- Conventional lipoma. This is the most common form of lipoma.
- Atypical lipoma. These tumors contain deeper fat and a larger number of cells.
- Hibernoma. This growth contains brown fat instead of the mature white fat that’s in a conventional lipoma.
- Myelolipoma. The fat tissue in a myelolipoma produces white blood cells, unlike in conventional lipomas.
- Spindle cell lipoma. As the name suggests, the fat cells in this growth appear spindle-like.
- Pleomorphic lipoma. This form of lipoma contains fat cells of varying sizes and shapes.
- Fibrolipoma. A fibrolipoma contains both fat and fibrous tissue.
- Angiolipoma. If your lipoma contains a large number of blood vessels as well as fat, it is an angiolipoma.
Doctors can often diagnose a lipoma by performing a physical exam.
In some cases, a doctor might perform a biopsy of the lipoma. During this procedure, they’ll take a small sample of tissue and send it to a lab for testing.
Doctors carry out this test to rule out the possibility of cancer. Although a lipoma is not cancerous, in rare instances, it can mimic a liposarcoma, which is malignant (cancerous).
Typically, a lipoma will not cause any adverse health problems. However, a dermatologist can treat the lump if it bothers you. They will make a treatment recommendation based on a variety of factors, including:
- the size of the lipoma
- the number of skin tumors you have
- whether the lipoma is painful due to its location
Steroid injections can shrink a lipoma
Steroid injections may be used for lipomas. This treatment can shrink the lipoma, but it does not completely remove it.
Surgery can remove a lipoma
The most common way to remove a lipoma is
Your doctor will typically perform an excision procedure using local anesthesia. They will make an incision in your skin to remove the lipoma. Once they remove the growth, they will sew up the incision.
Liposuction can reduce the size of a lipoma, but not permanently remove it
Liposuction is another
However, to prevent it from coming back, it’s important that the doctor removes a lipoma in its entirety. This is not as effective or guaranteed with liposuction. In addition, a lipoma (or a part of it) may be under the muscle, which liposuction cannot reach.
Does insurance cover lipoma removal?
If you have health insurance, check with your insurance provider to see if your plan covers lipoma removal. The cost of lipoma removal can vary depending on the:
- size of the growth
- location of the growth
- complexity of the procedure
Most lipomas are small and can be removed under local anesthesia in an office setting. These procedures can cost between $600 and $2,000.
However, the cost may be higher if your situation requires an operating room and general anesthesia.
Lipomas are often mistaken for cysts. A doctor may order an imaging test, such as an ultrasound, MRI, or CT scan to determine if the lump beneath your skin is a lipoma or a cyst.
Lipomas might also be mistaken for soft tissue sarcomas or desmoid tumors.
Lipomas are slow-growing, noncancerous tumors. Most reach their full size in about 2 years and then retain that size indefinitely. They typically do not continue to grow, nor do they go away.
If left untreated, most lipomas will stay the same size or continue to grow slowly. If they become uncomfortable or you do not like the way they look, you can opt to have them removed. Talk with a doctor about removal options.
Lipomas are noncancerous fatty growths that typically pose little health risk. They’re benign tumors, meaning that they won’t spread through surrounding tissue or throughout the body.
Although lipomas are not life threatening, your doctor may still monitor a lipoma to track its development.
A doctor or dermatologist can surgically remove these growths, although this will typically be for cosmetic purposes or when they grow in locations that are uncomfortable.
You cannot reduce the size of a lipoma with self-care. Warm compresses may work for other skin lumps, but they are not helpful for lipomas.
See a medical professional if you have any concerns about a lipoma or are interested in having it removed.