How to Treat Lipomas
People find it frightening when they discover lumps under their skin. Often it's simply something called a lipoma. These are non-cancerous tumors made of fat, the cause of which is unknown other than they're hereditary. You must visit a doctor immediately any time you find a growth, in order to insure that it is benign. If it's diagnosed as a lipoma you have little reason to worry and can seek treatment if desired.
- Difficulty:
- Moderate
Instructions
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Visit your doctor if you notice a lump under your skin. Lipomas are usually easy to diagnose because of their ability to be moved around under the skin. They are also soft, because they are made up of fat (adipose tissue) and when they are in the subcutaneous tissues, just beneath your skin, they're usually easy to remove.
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Decide whether or not you want to have a lipoma removed. If it is not large your doctor may tell you to leave it alone because they are non-malignant and rarely cause any pain, and removal leaves a small scar. Most people only have 1 or 2 and are usually unnoticeable to everyone but you.
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Pay attention if the lipoma starts to grow larger or deeper under your skin. In some cases, most often in men, they start to grow deep into the muscle tissue, which makes removal difficult. You may notice multiple lipomas; there are people who have hundreds all over their body, which cause pain as they push upon the nerves, muscles and even bone. One type of lipoma grows on inner organs.
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Learn the advantages and disadvantages of the 2 types of removal. Liposuction is often used on small lipomas because it leaves a much smaller scar. But it rarely removes that entire tumor and they have a tendency to grow back. In surgical removal, a good surgeon removes all traces of the fatty tissue and the casing, leaving a much smaller chance for regrowth, but a much bigger scar.
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Follow your doctor's directions if he recommends a biopsy or MRI. Although a clinical exam is usually conclusive he may want further confirmation. If the tumor is growing very large and deep into the muscle tissue, it is possible it could become dangerous, affecting your organs and, in extreme cases, may require amputation. There is no known treatment besides removal.
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