What are the dangers of having a lipoma on the abdomen?

Lipoma is common among middle-aged people and can occur in any part of the body. Generally, lipoma has a low chance of becoming malignant, but if left untreated it is likely to slowly increase in size. Lipoma in particular should be taken seriously if it grows on the abdomen.

1. The harm of lipoma

Lipoma is a benign tumor that originates from adipose tissue. Lipomas are mostly solitary, a few are multiple, have clear boundaries, are round or lobed, soft in texture, may have a pseudocystic feeling, and are painless. Lipomas grow slowly, most are small in size, and a few can reach 5 to 6 cm in diameter. Lipoma is composed of differentiated mature fat cells, and the tumor tissue is divided into fat lobules of varying sizes by varying amounts of fibrous cords. If there are more fibrous components, it is called fibrolipoma; if there are rich blood vessels, it is called angiolipoma.

If a single subcutaneous lipoma causes movement dysfunction, surgical resection can be performed; multiple small lipomas do not need to be treated because they are self-limited and may even disappear on their own; deep lipomas have the possibility of malignant transformation, that is, turning into liposarcoma, so they need to be closely observed and regularly reviewed by B-ultrasound. If the tumor proliferates rapidly or compression symptoms occur, surgical resection and pathological section examination should be performed; if it has turned into a liposarcoma, chemotherapy or radiotherapy should also be considered after surgery to improve the cure rate.

2. Lipoma symptoms and how to diagnose

1. Symptoms of lipoma

Lipomas generally occur in the trunk, limbs, and abdominal cavity, mainly under the skin, but can also be seen deep in the limbs and between the muscle bellies. Deep lipomas often grow along the muscles and can reach deep into the periosteum, but rarely invade adjacent bones.

Lipoma is generally a solitary lump, sometimes multiple, with clear boundaries, round or lobed shape, soft texture, slow growth, normal surface skin, movable, and varying sizes. Lipoma generally has no subjective symptoms, but it can cause pain if it compresses nerves.

2. Lipoma diagnosis

For general lipomas, experienced doctors can almost always make a clear diagnosis, and general surgeons can also achieve an accurate diagnosis rate of 70%-80%.

Before treating lipoma, surface tumors generally do not require puncture examination. Tumors that are relatively deep under the skin may not be palpable by hand, so B-ultrasound can be used to determine their location, size, texture, and whether they are solid or cystic. If a color ultrasound is used, the blood supply of the tumor can be directly seen. If the blood supply is abundant, it may be malignant. Moles or cysts that grow in superficial positions do not need B-ultrasound. Hemangioma is relatively difficult to treat and generally cannot be easily operated on. There may be abundant blood vessels inside the tumor. Some hemangiomas do not have a clear capsule, and some roots extend into the muscle. Its range must be determined before surgery. It is necessary to do color B-ultrasound or vascular puncture angiography. Color ultrasound or angiography can clearly determine its boundaries, whether the capsule is intact, and the relationship between the surrounding large blood vessels and important tissues such as nerves.