Diagnosis: Lipoma

Have you ever found a lump on your neck or your back and thought you were dying of cancer? Did you rush to the doctor thinking you only had weeks to live? Then the doctor tells you not to worry it's only a Lipoma and you're not going to die. But you're still confused, what is a Lipoma?

A Lipoma is a benign tumor composed of fatty tissue. Lipomas are commonly found on the neck, shoulders and head but can develop any place that fat is present. Often times it's soft to the touch and moveable and relatively painless. They grow slowly and are often found in adults ranging in age from 40 to 60. Nearly one out of every hundred people has a Lipoma. Sometimes Lipomas can be found in children but it's rare. Lipomas can also be found on animals. They're commonly found on older dogs, just the same as humans, with the occasional puppy having one.

What causes a Lipoma to develop? They're not known to be hereditary but they are associated with certain medical conditions that are hereditary. Some doctors believe that Lipomas can be caused by injury. This is mainly found in children who develop Lipomas. Often it can be traced back to either being held too tight or some minor injury received right before the Lipoma developed.

Treatment for a Lipoma ranges from none to surgery to have it removed. Some Lipomas are not removed due to the fact that they pose no real harm to the patient. If they aren't growing in excess and it isn't causing pain, then there's no reason to remove it. Lipomas can be removed by liposuction although if the entire Lipoma isn't removed it may grow back. In addition to liposuction there are less evasive ways to remove the Lipomas. Most evasive treatment is surgical removal of the Lipoma. Because Lipomas can grow back surgical removal is probably the best to guarantee that the entire Lipoma will be removed and won't grow back.

So next time you find a lump on your body, try to not scare yourself. Make an appointment right away to see a doctor because any lump on your body has the potential to be a dangerous lump. Never ignore lumps because you believe they aren't serious especially if you're female and find a lump in your breast. Let a doctor tell you they're not dangerous and don't need treatment. You don't want to put off getting a diagnosis and find that in fact the lump is dangerous. It's better to be safe than sorry!