The lipoma, a perfectly benign lump of fat. скачать в хорошем качестве

The lipoma, a perfectly benign lump of fat.

Despite your doctor’s reassuring words about its benign nature, you are not too reassured by this lipoma which has taken shape in the middle of your thigh. What is it exactly? Should we intervene? Professor Gérard Lorette, Emeritus Professor of Dermatology at the University Hospital of Tours, sheds light on the causes, diagnosis and treatment of lipomas. What is a lipoma? Rather soft, of variable size, the lipoma is a collection of subcutaneous fat . Totally benign, this adipose excess located under the epidermis can measure between 1 and 20 cm , sometimes more, and form anywhere on the body: stomach, arms, breast, back. but also brain , muscles, tendons , bone ! No area of ​​our anatomy is immune to a lipoma! For the moment, if we know the mechanism at the origin of the formation of a lipoma, the runaway of the cells of the fatty tissue, we do not know what causes this excessive proliferation. Is it serious ? If the lipoma is by nature without risk for health, certain localizations can however have serious consequences. This is particularly the case of lipomas that develop in depth, close to organs or those that reach a critical size, says Professor Lorette. A lipoma located in the brain, on a muscle , a tendon or a bone can lead to compression of nearby vessels or nerves and cause pain or even paralysis , describes the dermatologist. How to be sure that it is a lipoma? Only a GP or dermatologist can diagnose a lipoma. A palpation of the lump is generally sufficient to make the diagnosis and to distinguish the lipoma from another lump, soft, malleable, the lipoma has regular contours and rolls under the fingers. The sebaceous cyst, with which it is often confused by patients, has the appearance of a hard lump with a hole in the middle. If in doubt, the doctor can perform a biopsy and have the sample analyzed. Lipomas usually develop independently of any disease. However, they can be part of the symptoms of certain pathologies. This is the case of Dercum’s disease , a rare condition that affects obese people , especially women. Also known as painful adipose, it is characterized by the presence of multiple painful lipomas in the lower limbs, difficult to relieve, which have the annoying tendency to reform after their removal. Lipomatosis is characterized by multiple, organized and deep lipomas. This genetic disease, of which Launois-Bensaude disease is a part , occurs in two forms: with lipomas concentrated in the region of the neck and trunk and scattered symmetrically this is the form that mainly affects men suffering from comorbidities such as diabetes , high blood pressure and alcoholism with lipomas present in the abdomen and at the roots of the thighs, where they can be bothersome and put pressure on the surrounding vessels, nerves and muscles. Treatment of a lipoma Lipoma rarely requires treatment . But if it becomes painful or if its unsightly appearance bothers patients, its removal is then indicated. The intervention is done by ambulatory surgery without hospitalization, it is the most indicated technique, underlines Pr Lorette. Avoid, on the other hand, liposuction techniques which are accompanied by a high rate of recurrences, warns the specialist.