Multiple lipomas are harmless growths of the skin that are composed of lipids.

A lipoma, which feels doughy and usually isn't tender, moves readily with slight finger pressure.

In most cases they are non threatening but they are known to cause some degree of anxiety to patients, and hence may provoke issues concerning management and treatment.

In this blog, Mykare Health will help you understand more about multiple lipomas, its symptoms and treatment.

What Are Lipomas?

Lipoma is a benign tumour which is a relatively painless, slow growing and freckle mass composed of mature adipose or fat tissue. They constitute the largest group of soft tissue neoplasms and primarily arise in the subcutaneous tissue.

Lipomas may occur on any area of the human body, but are more frequently located in the upper part of the back and shoulders, abdomen, upper arms or thighs.

Features of Lipomas

• Size: Lipomas can be of different size, mostly they are macular or subcutaneous lesions, the diameter can be ranging from some millimetres to several centimetres.

• Texture: They are soft and rubber like, and sometimes their surfaces may still feel more like a dough.

• Mobility: Lipomas are usually mobile, encapsulated nodules situated beneath the skin and the lesions are asymptomatic.

• Growth: They usually can take a long time to grow and may not change in size for years.

Multiple Lipomas: An Overview

In these situations, when a person has more than one lipoma, it is called the presence of multiple lipomas. This condition might occur occasionally or might form a part of genetic disorder that is known as familial multiple lipomatosis.

Patients with FM imply multiple lipomas that can be of different size and located in different parts of the body at the same time.

Causes of Multiple Lipomas

The cause of lipomas isn't fully understood. They tend to run in families, so genetic factors likely play a role in their development.

1. Genetic Factors: Several lipomas are also influenced by the preexisting family history. Maybe depression is a condition passed down from one generation to another in a family, so if a member of your family has these conditions they will be prone to getting well.

2. Age: Lipomas are most commonly found in middle adults, middle aged, between the ages of 4060 years, but they can develop in any age group.

3. Obesity: Several research have pointed to a correlation between obesity and the development of lipomas, though the connection is not confirmed.

4. Trauma: Sometimes this is preceded by an injury to the skin or subcutaneous tissue; however, this is not always so.

Symptoms of Multiple Lipomas

Multiple lipomas are typically quite benign and usually the fatty lumps do not cause any sort of pain in most cases. However, some individuals may experience

• Visible Lumps: Benign tumours which are generally smooth, mobile and present as nodular swellings of variable size and situation.

• Discomfort: But when a lipoma intrudes into nerves or tissues, it may produce pain occasionally, though this is quite infrequent.

• Cosmetic Concerns: Some clients may develop an undesired bodily perception if they develop multiple lipomas in accessible areas of their body.

Diagnosis of Multiple Lipomas

Diagnosing multiple lipomas typically involves a physical examination and may include the following

1. Medical History: Doctors will enquire about the past history, any symptoms present and the period of syncing for lipomas.

2. Physical Examination: All of the lumps are going to be palpated effectively and completely. Entirely, physical examination will include size, shape, texture and their ability to move as per the doctor’s observation.

3. Imaging Studies: Such imaging tests as utilisation, MRI or CT may be utilised in an attempt to differentiate lipomas from other soft tissue tumours or cysts.

4. Biopsy: Biopsy is usually not needed but may be necessary in those instances when the diagnosis of lipoma is in doubt or the lipoma appears to be atypical.

Treating Multiple Lipomas

The usual management of multiple lipomas does not require any intervention since patients are often not symptomatic. However, options are available if you wish to remove them or if they cause issues:

1. Surgical Removal

• Indications: Lipomas that are painful, inflammatory, growing in size, or are cosmetically undesirable are likely to be operated out.

• Procedure: It is often done under local anaesthesia. The surgeon cuts the skin a little, excises the lipoma, then suture the incision area.

• Recovery: Recovery time is usually over the short term, and most people can resume their normal schedules within the next few days.

2. Liposuction

• Alternative Option: Liposuction can also be used with large lipomas to reduce the size of lipomas so that comfortable removal may be achieved. However this one may not be very efficient particularly where the problem is complex or there is a large amount of information to process.

• Considerations: Though it is stated that with liposuction scarring is kept to a minimum, this surgery does not actually excise the entire lipoma and the chances of it recurring are explicit.

3.Monitoring

If lipomas are not painful or bothering you in any way, your doctor may prefer to have them watched over periodically instead. A visit to a medical doctor is appropriate to notice any change in size or symptoms.