10 Lipoma Symptoms

By edwin

Reviewed: dr. vanta

Article Sources

Article Sources

• 1. ’Lipoma | Lipoma, Arm.' MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 16 April 2019. medlineplus.gov/ency/imagepages/1209.htm
• 2. ’Olafsdottir, B. E., Frodadottir, H. K., Runarsdottir, R., & Valsdottir, E. B. (2018). Laeknabladid.’ 104(11), 499–501. www.doi.org/10.17992/lbl.2018.11.204
• 3. Kosztyuova, T., & Shim, T. N. (2017). 'Rapidly enlarging lipoma.’ BMJ Case Reports, 2017, bcr2017221272. www.doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2017-221272
• 4. Agrawal, Amit, and K J Singh. Symptomatic Intestinal Lipomas: Our Experience. Medical Journal, Armed Forces India, Elsevier, Oct. 2011, [www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4920661/.](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4920661/.)
• 5. Dercum's Disease. NORD (National Organization for Rare Disorders), 26 Mar. 2020, rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/dercums-disease/
• 6. Singh, Mansher et al. 'Causal Relation between Nerve Compression and Migraine Symptoms and the Therapeutic Role of Surgical Decompression.' Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Global open vol. 3,5 e395. 5 Jun. 2015, doi:10.1097/GOX.0000000000000345

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Lipoma is a benign lump of fatty tissue cells. Lipomas can form on every organ of the body but are most typically seen in the subcutaneous layer beneath the skin. It's a soft, movable lump that develops slowly and isn't usually painful. Lipomas can also be related to other disorders that aren't quite as harmless.

In rare instances, lipomas can put pressure on nerves resulting in pain. The severity of pain is determined by where it's located in the body and which adjacent tissues or organs it has affected.¹’Lipoma | Lipoma, Arm.’ MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 16 April 2019. medlineplus.gov/ency/imagepages/1209.htm

Nodule or Bump

The first symptom of lipoma is the formation of a bump or nodule below the skin. This could be the size of a pea or as large as a couple of inches in diameter. There are cases where it has grown four inches and weighs in excess of two pounds.²’Olafsdottir, B. E., Frodadottir, H. K., Runarsdottir, R., & Valsdottir, E. B. (2018). Laeknabladid.’ 104(11), 499–501. www.doi.org/10.17992/lbl.2018.11.204

Soft and normally painless, lipomas move below the skin when prodded with the finger. The condition tends to run in families, passed on from one generation to the next, therefore genetics may play a role. It most commonly appears between 40 and 60 years of age, but can appear in children, too.