Lipoma

Hi, For about ten years I had a large lipoma growing on my arm. Finally in April I had it removed. It was very firmly attached, a long way under the skin, and took 3/4 of an hour to remove, and it bled a great deal. Now I have many small and medium sized lumps growing, above, below and alongside where the original one was; every week or so I find another one. The pathology came back as lipoma but the specimen wasn't marked and I don't know if the doctor said anything to the lab about the attachment, so that they would look there. Could this have been turning into a liposarcoma? Is it normal for the removal of one lipoma to lead to the growth of many more?

[Bharat Chawda, MD]

Dear Trina99,

Thank you for posting the query,

You have given a good description of your problem. I appreciate that.

A Lipoma is a benign tumor of fat cells. One may have single or multiple lipomas with no symptoms at all. One may need a surgical excision only for cosmetic reasons.

On the other hand liposarcoma is a very rare tumor of fat cells that too which is deep seated.. Most of the liposarcomas are situated deep in perineum,thigh ,groins & back of the abdomen. It is very  rare to have one on skin. And the development of a liposarcoma from a preexisting benign lipoma is also rare. It may at times ulcerate too and have pain . And it is not so that if you remove one lipoma ,it would lead to development of many more such lesions.

The cause of lipomas is unknown. But there can be a genetic involvement as many patients with lipomas come from a family with a history of these tumors. At times an injury such as a blunt blow to part of the body may trigger growth of a lipoma.

However, The only way one can confirm the nature of your lesions is by getting a biopsy done. I would advise you to consult a competent dermatologist who can advise on the same. At the most you would require a skin biopsy or a review of your previous slide if available.

Hope I have answered your query. I will be available for follow up query if any.

Should you have additional concerns regarding this issue I would be happy to address them.

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Best Regards,
Dr. Bharat Chawda