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Lipoma

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goodtoknowsays: A Lipoma is a soft, fatty lump made of fat cells. It often forms under your skin and can appear anywhere on your body although mainly develops on the shoulders, chest and back. But Lipomas are nothing to worry about. They are not cancerous and do not cause cancer. They're fairly common too. Around 1 in 100 people will get a lipoma and the vast majority require no treatment. However you may want to have a lipoma removed for cosmetic reasons. A minor operation is usually very successful.

For a full medical explanation of the causes, symptoms and treatments of Lipoma from patient.co.uk, read on

What is a 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.