Symptoms of a lipoma
introduction
Lipomas are benign tumors made up of fat cells, which in most cases are located in the subcutaneous fat tissue, and more rarely in internal organs or muscles. They belong to the more common, benign tumors, although the exact cause has not yet been clarified.
Read more on the subject at: Lipoma causes.
About 16 percent of people can detect a lipoma, and both sexes are equally affected. However, there is an increase between the fourth and fifth decades of life, as well as with certain hereditary diseases such as lipomatosis dolorosa or neurofibromatosis.
Lipomas tend to occur on the trunk and head and neck area, but are less common on the extremities.
Symptoms
Lipomas are Tumors rich in fat cells and blood vessels, which is usually a soft consistency have and easy to move can be felt in the subcutaneous fatty tissue. However, do they have one high proportion of connective tissue (e.g. in fibrolipomas), they can also be used as a something harder knot impress under the skin.
By having lipomas in the vast majority of cases no complaints whatsoever cause, they are often only discovered by chance as a tactile finding. As a rule, they grow very slowly and can therefore only be noticed for the first time after years. Your Size is very variableso that diameters between 1 and 10 cm and more can be present. Smaller lipomas in the subcutaneous fatty tissue are often only noticeable as small, movable, soft, compressible lumps under the skin, which can only be felt by carefully touching them, since otherwise they do not cause any symptoms. Larger lipomas, on the other hand, are visible to the naked eye as a distinct bump under the skin.
Complaints and symptoms generally only occur with lipomas if they are due to their location or their size surrounding structures, such as nerves or vessels as well as organs compress.
If, for example, they are in the subcutaneous fat tissue in the immediate vicinity of joints, they can be compressed during movements so that it becomes Restriction of movement or one uncomfortable feeling of pressure up to pain can come.
In general, lipomas that are a close spatial proximity to nerves and push them through for the first time through growth or movement Pain stand out. But even a close location in the area of larger vessels can lead to symptoms, for example if a slightly larger lipoma on the neck leads to a Compression of the carotid artery or to Restrictions in movement in the neck muscles leads.
Deeper lipomas near or in or on internal organs are rare (1-2%), but they can lead to a wide variety of symptoms that occur in the context of their space occupation Organ dysfunction occurrence.
Again, they are much more common and harmless Lipomas of the trunk of the body, which occur preferentially on the back, on the stomach, on the chest, the shoulder or the upper arm and thigh, as they only lead to serious complaints in a few cases, but rather one cosmetic problem represent.
On the back, lipomas above a certain size can produce a diffuse feeling of pressure (especially when lying down), but also cause nerve pain, numbness or sensory disorders in the surrounding skin area or pressure-related pain in the back muscles or when the environment is compressed Guide tendons.
Read more about the topics at:
- Lipoma on the back
- Lump on the back
In the shoulder area, lipomas are usually noticed relatively early because, due to the small amount of subcutaneous fat, they quickly appear as lumps above the skin level. In addition, from a certain size or position, they can also quickly generate a feeling of pressure and / or pain. Especially in areas that are carried in a backpack or handbag or that are used for sports, they are noticed relatively quickly by unpleasant complaints.
Read more on the subject at: Lipoma on the shoulder
Lipomas im Chest area can theoretically produce similar symptoms, but usually are symptomatically normal. Lipomas on the breast are less noticeable in women in particular; they are usually only felt by chance by the woman or the gynecologist. To avoid confusion with other breast diseases, especially one Breast cancer (please refer: Recognize breast cancer), to rule out, lipomas in the breast are often routinely even more precisely using Ultrasonic or Mammography examined. However, proven lipomas in breast tissue do not increase the risk of cancer.
Lipomas im belly or flank area, as well as breast lipomas, hardly any complaints and are usually more difficult to recognize, which is due to the increased distribution of subcutaneous fatty tissue in this area. Here, too, complaints or symptoms only occur when the lipoma presses on surrounding nerve structures from a certain size or due to a certain position, so that it closes Sensory disturbances occurs in the abdominal flank area or even in the lower extremities.
