Lipoma, what is it? Picture, Symptoms and Treatment

Lipoma (in the people - wen) - benign subcutaneous tumor. Outwardly, it looks like a seal, but soft to the touch, can move slightly when pressed. Over time wen grows and can reach a large enough size.

This is a tumor of adipose tissue, but it has nothing to do with cancer - not germinate in other organs, are not spreads. The tumor may occur in any system or organ, but most often localized in the subcutaneous adipose tissue of limbs, torso and head. It is rarely to be found in the deep soft tissue in the perinephric fat, abdominal cavity, lungs, mediastinum, breast.

What it is?

Lipoma, fatty tumor, wen - a benign tumor connective tissue, develops in a layer loose subcutaneous connective tissue and can penetrate deep between the muscles and the vascular bundles to periosteum.

Tumor of soft consistency, completely painless and easily movable. It grows slowly. Lipoma is more common in areas of poor adipose tissue: on the upper back, shoulder girdle, the outer surface of the shoulder and hip. Lipoma is usually not hazardous.

It is not degenerating into cancer. However, lipomas in the subcutaneous adipose tissue, although relatively rare, are transformed into malignant tumors of connective tissue (liposarcoma); in the breast liposarcoma - a very rare phenomenon. But the latter view lipomas may increase rapidly in size and deform the mammary gland.

Causes of lipomas

Causes of lipomas is now reliably and permanently unclear. Many scientists believe that a major factor in the development of lipomas is a violation of embryogenesis (inherent to a person's birth atypical fatty subcutaneous fat cells).

Also, it is believed that the occurrence of lipomas might be associated with systemic disorder metabolic (exchange) processes occurring in adipose tissue. Also, it does not exclude the possibility of the development of these tumors as a result of hormonal reactions in the body, which include menopause in women, when fading is rearranged and fertility, and damage to the hypothalamus (a brain region) which is responsible for all the metabolic processes in body.

Lipoma can stimulate the development of the disease of pancreas and liver, underactive thyroid and pituitary function (brain appendage in the form of circular formation, produce hormones that affect the growth, metabolism and reproductive function and is a central body endocrine system).

Quite often, lipomas occur against a background of alcoholism, diabetes, malignancies of the upper respiratory tract. The medical literature describes familial cases with autosomal dominant inheritance of subcutaneous lipomas. The increase in size of lipomas is not related to the general state of the patient's body: even if the exhaustion they do not cease to accumulate fat.

Classification

Distinguish some clinical varieties of lipomas:

• miolipoma soft tissue (rarely subcutaneous);
• lumbosacral lipoma (grows in the spinal canal or near the vertebrae, often associated with congenital hypoplasia of the latter);
• perineural lipoma that which surrounds the nerves (always painful and difficult to remove);
• intermuscular lipomas (germinate through muscle and reappear in the case of incomplete removal lipoma);
• lipoma tendon and synovial membrane (located in the named entities);
• angiolipoma (most often found in the kidneys, skin angiolipoma are rare, tend to suffer from men of mature age, it appears as a painless subcutaneous tight knot on the limbs);
• adenolipoma (version components of the lipoma with sweat gland structures, it is difficult to distinguish from atheroma).

symptoms

Lipoma - a soft, elastic enough, and moving at the same time, completely painless education that occurs, usually under the skin.

Such education can be detected by touch. Usually when you touch the lipoma person does not feel any pain, except in cases where multiple lipomas are located along the nerve trunks. Touching them may cause discomfort due to pressure on a nerve.

The appearance of a lipoma depends on its composition. Lipofibroma (soft lipoma) - education, in which structure is dominated by soft fatty tissue. Fibrous lipoma - a sufficiently tight formation. The structure of fibrous lipoma is not only fat, but also connective fibrous tissue. Cavernous lipoma (angiolipoma) - formation, in which a lot of visible blood vessels. The composition includes miolipomy muscle fibers, whereby it has a bumpy shape.

A distinctive feature of any lipoma is that its size does not change with a decrease in body weight, and in some cases wen increases even more.

What is a lipoma, photos

Lipomas can be located on the body surface, and in its cavities and internal organs. However, it must be admitted that such tumors of internal organs is rare. Most of them stem from the layer of subcutaneous fat.

The photo below shows how the disease manifests itself in adults:

When the feeling of a lipoma is the formation of medium density, often painless. They are not soldered to the surrounding tissues and rarely provoke inflammation. The skin over them is not changed and moves freely in all directions. Lipomas dimensions may be from a minimum in the 1 - 2 cm, to huge, a 15 - 20 cm in diameter or more.

Diagnostics

Lipoma is very similar in character to the tumor sebaceous glands - atheroma. Their hallmark is a place of localization. Sebaceous cysts are usually located in places where the sebaceous glands, and lipoma - in the place of accumulation of adipose tissue. In addition lipoma has no traces ductless characteristic atheroma.

In most cases, the surface location of lipomas doctor makes the correct diagnosis even during the examination of the patient. When internal lipomas using instrumental diagnostic techniques: X-ray with contrast, ultrasound, computed tomography.

How to treat lipoma?

lipoma Treatment involves removal of all neoplasms together with the capsule. As this process of tumor, the self is unacceptable in any form.

• Firstly, the patient who does not have special knowledge, can not pinpoint what exactly is a tumor on the body.
• Secondly, there are no non-surgical methods to combat the tumor has not yet figured out why when it detects suspicious in his education it is better to go to the doctor.

Indications for removal of lipomas may be:

• Soreness, compression of nerves and blood vessels in the tumor site;
• The appearance of signs of inflammation in the zone of growth of neoplasms;
• Fast growth;
• Cosmetic defect;
• Violation of the function of surrounding tissue or organs;
• The desire of the patient.

The choice of method analgesia and a method of removing lipoma determined by its location, size, condition of the patient. For small surface formations preferred local anesthetic, but in the case of the location of the tumor within the body without general anesthesia can not do.

Today the most common ways to treat lipomas are:

1. Laser. Without this method of influence on pathologically changed tissues modern medicine is difficult to imagine, and oncology - is no exception. Due to the target and the laser beam on the tumor tissue is its removal, while the surrounding cells remain unaffected. After laser removal is not scarring, healing occurs quickly, and relapses are rare. Laser therapy is considered the treatment of choice for small superficial lipoma.
2. Puncture-suction removal lipomas. Suctioning assumes its contents using a thick needle. The patient can go home in 15-20 minutes after the procedure. Tumor capsule, particularly well expressed, while not always possible to remove, so the risk of recurrence is quite high, and the effectiveness depends on the ability and skill of the surgeon. The method does not require sutures and has a good cosmetic result.
3. Removal of the tumor with a scalpel. This approach is justified for large size tumors located in the tissues of the reach of physical methods of treatment of the cells. The doctor selects adequate analgesia method in accordance with the location of the tumor and the patient. In most cases, lipoma removal can be performed on an outpatient basis, but larger tumors and, especially, within the growing body, the patient will be offered hospitalization.
4. Radiowave treatment. It is minimally invasive and does not leave marks on the body, and the tumor cells are killed by heating. The method requires a local anesthetic, complete healing takes a few days. Since the section of tissue is not performed, there is no need for suturing, and, therefore, will not scar. Radionozh removes the tumor entirely, together with the capsule, which allows to minimize the risk of recurrence. Radiowave treatment practically does not cause complications, but is usually used for small amounts of tumor.

Complications of removing lipomas are rare and most often associated with postoperative wound infection or hematoma, although it is possible the formation of keloid scars, tumor recurrence. Usually postoperative period was good, and the application of gentle techniques the patient can go home immediately.

After removal of the lipoma

After removal of the lipoma is necessary twice a day to handle the wound dressing and make up, as long as it is not completely spoiled with the formation of a crust. On the morning of the wound treated with hydrogen peroxide and sealed with tape. A night wound again treated with hydrogen peroxide and then impose any ointment that accelerates healing, e.g., Levomekol, Solcoseril or Methyluracil. When the grapple wound edges, can not fix their plaster and adhesive applied to them BF-6. Thus caring for the wound as long as it is not completely healed, that is, within 1 - 3 weeks.

In addition to said wound care mandatory for the early restoration of tissue integrity can take complex vitamins and minerals (Vitrum, Centrum, Supradin, Multi-Tubbs et al.). It advised to take medications from the group consisting of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Ibuprofen, Nimesulide, Ketanov, Ketorol etc.) for relief of pain. In order to reduce edema and accelerate the recovery in the first 2 - 3 days after the operation can be applied to the skin around the wound ointment Traumel S, which is recommended by many surgeons.

Folk remedies

You can use these recipes:

1. Golden mustache - is the most effective folk remedy for getting rid of the oil lamp. The leaves are ground and then spread on a cheesecloth and attach to the new formation. Further, wound plastic wrap and a towel. As a rule, unable to cure wen 2 weeks.
2. Honey. It is also used for the treatment of the oil lamp. Mix 1 tbsp. l. vodka and 2 tbsp. l. honey. The resulting mixture was put on a bandage and apply neoplastic. Change the bandage 3 times per day, apply to the complete disappearance of the oil lamp.
3. Ivy. It is necessary to crush the stems, leaves of the plant in an amount to fill half a glass. Pour the vodka, to fill the container completely. Pour the contents into a bottle of dark glass, put it for 3 days in the refrigerator. Strain the infusion, put grass on a bandage and apply to the lipoma. should be left to wrap for the night. Apply this recipe should be up to the complete disappearance of tumors.

Efficiency means is questioned, however, the harm they too can not. Before you start taking people's money expert to confirm that this is indeed a lipoma. There are other diseases that are similar in appearance to the wen.

complications

Despite its harmlessness, lipomas can grow and grow, interfering with normal human life. Among other, more serious complications wen, we note:

1. The displacement of surrounding tissue and, consequently, pain. For example, if the tumor is located in the preperitoneal fat, it can easily cause hernia.
2. Inflammation. For unclear reasons, lipoblastoma can grow in size and become painful. During the pressure on such wen there is fluctuation, that is, inside the tumor accumulates fluid.
3. Liposarcoma. Exceptional and quite rare case in which a benign tumor becomes malignant.

prevention

Lipoma is not always possible to prevent that much depends on human heredity. However, there are preventive measures that reduce the risk of lipoma:

• introduce a balanced diet;
• reduce alcohol consumption to a minimum;
• tobacco refuse;
• take a multivitamin;
• to comply with the hygiene of the skin;
• avoid traumatizing the skin;
• to comply with at least minimal physical exertion;
• see your doctor regularly to monitor the emergence of demodectic mange.

Some doctors advise taking statin drugs, which decrease the concentration of fatty fractions. However, this preventive measure is controversial, and its benefit is not proven.

Forecast

Lipoma - a tumor in which doctors give a favorable outcome. But there is always a danger of relapse - the re-emergence of the disease. The cause of the novobrazovaniya after surgery can be left in the capsule tissue or incompletely resected previous lipoma. Therefore, in the treatment of diseases of great attention should be paid to ensure that minimize the possibility of relapse.