How Are Lipomas Diagnosed?
To determine whether a skin lump is a subcutaneous lipoma, a sebaceous cyst, liposarcoma, or some other condition, your doctor will perform various tests, such as:
- Physical examination — Most often, a physical exam is sufficient to diagnose a lipoma.
- Imaging — A CT scan, MRI, or X-rays may be taken if the lump is painful, large, or is suspected to be impinging on a nerve or muscle.
- Biopsy — If the lump has unusual features or is painful, a biopsy may be taken to eliminate the possibility that it is a liposarcoma rather than a subcutaneous lipoma.
Treatments and Prognosis for Subcutaneous Lipomas
Once a doctor has evaluated your lipoma, there are different approaches to treatment:
- Surgical excision — If the lipoma is causing discomfort, it may be cut out and removed in the doctor’s office.
- Liposuction — With large lipomas, it may be possible to insert a needle and remove the fatty tissue that lipoma contains. Since this procedure doesn’t fully remove all the tissue, it’s possible the lipoma will return. Therefore, surgical removal is the preferred procedure.
- Watching and waiting — If the lipoma is small and is not causing any concerns, you and your doctor may agree to monitor it.
The outlook for those who have a lipoma is very good. They don’t normally invade other tissues, making them contained and easy to treat. Once they are removed, they don’t usually grow back, and they can be excised with a small cut, leaving minimal scarring.
