Lipoma - symptoms, causes of appearance. Treatment of lipoma without surgery
Lipoma is a neoplasm consisting mainly of adipose tissue. It rarely represents a serious pathology, but in many cases it is an unpleasant cosmetic defect, and in some localizations it can cause pain. What is it and how to treat it?
Causes of lipoma
The causes of lipoma on the head and body, as well as in internal organs and muscles, are not exactly known. There are several theories, each of which cannot finally explain why this tumor occurs.
Genetic predisposition is the main theory. The gene responsible for the development of this benign neoplasm has not yet been identified, but it has been proven that children of parents suffering from lipoma very often inherit this feature. If one of the identical twins has it, then in almost 100% of cases it also develops in the second.
In case of disturbances in fat metabolism (the second theory), lipoproteins, clogging blood vessels of a microscopic caliber, begin to accumulate, forming a clot of fat. Over time, it can sprout capillaries and connective tissue, which will divide it into lobules, forming the structure of a lipoma.
There is a third theory of the appearance of lipoma from clogged sebaceous glands. According to her, the fat secreted by the sebaceous gland cannot reach the surface of the skin due to the blockage of the duct and begins to accumulate. The further process is similar to that described in the previous theory. Unfortunately, it is impossible to explain the appearance of a lipoma in the abdominal cavity with such a mechanism (there are no sebaceous glands in the abdomen).
Symptoms of lipoma
In 95% of cases, lipomas are localized under the skin, mainly in the back and thighs, although other localizations are also possible. The remaining 5% are lipomas of internal organs, intermuscular and brain (rare localization).
Under the skin, a lipoma looks like a tumor-like formation of various sizes, soft, with clear contours, usually painless. Over time, it can increase in size, sometimes becoming extremely large. In this case, the tumor begins to sag, and its base is pulled out, forming a thin leg permeated with blood vessels.
Sometimes a lipoma can be dense, which is associated with a pronounced growth of connective tissue in it. In this case, it is called fibrolipoma or lipofibroma.
Pain is not the leading symptom of a lipoma. However, its location in the internal organs is often associated with pain due to tumor growth and stretching of the capsule of the corresponding organ. Lipomas often hurt on the face due to its rich innervation and on the neck, if they are located close to the spine and squeeze the spinal roots.
Treatment
Treatment of lipoma without surgery is ineffective. With small sizes, doctors try to conduct a series of injections of the hormonal drug Diprospan directly into the tumor. Sometimes it allows you to get rid of the tumor, but the recurrence rate is high.
Folk methods are also ineffective. There are no traditional or non-traditional remedies that can dissolve a lipoma, so if it causes discomfort, you should not waste your time. Dobrobut.com recommends contacting a specialist to resolve the issue of surgery.
There are two types of indications for surgery: relative and absolute.
Situations are called absolute when the refusal of surgery threatens the life of the patient or can lead to a permanent loss of work capacity and reduce the quality of life. These can be:
- lipomas of the brain (located in the skull cavity);
- intracardiac lipomas;
- threat of tumor rupture in the extra-abdominal space or into the abdominal cavity (to prevent such conditions, one must know the symptoms of abdominal lipoma).
Relative indications are situations when the patient feels discomfort, but there is no threat to life. A lipoma can grow and eventually cause more serious health problems:
- compression of the nerve accompanied by pain;
- localization in a parenchymal organ (for example, surgical removal of lipoma of a single kidney is the only possibility to prevent kidney failure);
- permanent injury to the tumor (a lipoma can develop into a malignant tumor);
- disruption of blood circulation in a part of the body due to compression of blood vessels.
Even in the absence of serious symptoms, a lipoma can be removed at the patient's request. For example, if the patient does not like how a lipoma on the neck looks.
Removal of a subcutaneous tumor is usually performed under local anesthesia after a test for allergy to anesthetic. The surgeon makes an incision and removes the entire lipoma along with the capsule. The wound is sutured and a rubber drain is left in it for several days, which is later removed.
It is possible to remove the tumor with a laser. There is no big difference between laser removal of a lipoma on the back (or any other place under the skin) and traditional surgery, except that the blood loss in the first method is much less, as well as the risk of infection of the wound.
Operation to remove breast lipoma
The neoplasm of this localization is removed under anesthesia. They try to make the incision so that the scar after it is imperceptible. It is either the lateral surface of the organ or a fold under the gland. The technique of the operation is approximately the same, however, if the lipoma is located in the thickness of the gland, a sectoral resection may be required. In any case, the question about the method and course of the operation is decided by the patient together with the doctor.
Surgical removal of kidney lipoma
The operation is performed under anesthesia. The doctor, having reached the kidney, dissects it in the place where the lipoma is located, completely removes the tumor along with the capsule, and then sews it up, leaving a tubular drainage. Subsequently, the drain is also removed.
It is possible to perform the operation endoscopically. This is a less traumatic intervention that has recently been preferred. Recovery after laparoscopic surgery takes much less time.
What to do when a brain lipoma is detected
At the appearance of its symptoms, such as headache, impaired motor functions and sensitivity in any part of the body, convulsions, decreased vision or hearing, you should immediately consult a doctor. Such a lipoma is removed only by surgical endoscopic or open access. It is carried out in specialized neurosurgery clinics. To clarify information, make an appointment with specialists on the website of our clinic, Dobrobut.com.
How to get rid of cardiodiaphragmatic lipoma
This pathology develops in the mediastinum - a special cavity of the chest, where the heart, vessels and tracheobronchial tree are located. Most often, it is asymptomatic, but with its growth, severe complications can occur, up to sepsis or cancer. It is possible to develop respiratory failure, as well as cardiac arrhythmia due to constant mechanical irritation of the heart. It is necessary to remove such a neoplasm immediately after its detection. The operation is performed by a thoracic surgeon or an oncologist under anesthesia.
This type of lipoma is a special form of hernia, and the operation after the removal of the hernial sac ends with a plastic hernia gate. If this is not done, relapse is inevitable.
In most cases, lipoma is not dangerous for life or health. However, if it bothers the patient, it is better to deal with it with the help of specialists.
Related services:
Surgical operations
Laparoscopy
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