Breast lipoma is a benign tumor that can develop due to hereditary factors or tissue trauma. It grows slowly and is usually painless. Diagnosis is done through imaging studies, and treatment involves monitoring for changes or surgical removal if necessary.
Breast lipoma can develop as an inherited condition or due to previous injury or tissue trauma. This benign tumor is located just under the skin, and unless there are significant changes or the soft tissue tumor is affecting mobility, medical treatment is generally not needed. Lipomas can develop anywhere on the body, including the neck, torso, abdomen, and limbs.
The physiological events surrounding the development of breast lipoma involve a fat cell growing and dividing more frequently than usual. The new cells grow and divide abnormally, causing cancer of the fatty tissue. A fibrous capsule develops around these cells. The growths are soft and rubbery to the touch and usually move easily under the skin’s surface. The lipoma typically develops as a painless, singular lesion.
Women who have family members with this condition are more likely to develop this type of injury. Other hereditary risk factors include Dercum’s disease or adiposis painful. This condition not only produces multiple and painful lipomas, but also neurological and mental health symptoms. Individuals with familial multiple lipomatosis usually develop multiple lesions. Gardner syndrome is a rare disease in which multiple noncancerous or precancerous lipomas develop, not only under the skin, but also in various organs.
When surgically removed, fatty tissue generally resembles the yellow fat found under a chicken’s skin. Measurements of a breast lipoma average 0.4 inches (1 centimeter) to 1.2 inches (3 centimeters) in diameter. Under unusual circumstances, these harmless growths can measure 2.3 inches (6 centimeters) or more in diameter. Once formed, lipomas grow slowly and may remain the same size for several years. The condition is seen most often in postmenopausal women between the ages of 40 and 60.
Evaluation and diagnosis of breast lipoma usually include imaging studies. On an X-ray, the lipoma usually appears as a translucent gray mass surrounded by an opaque capsule. Mammography or ultrasound images usually show a well-defined smooth or lobulated mass. Although the growth of the tissue is abnormal, the lipoma tissue is not considered a malignant tumor. Treatment typically involves monitoring the lesion for changes.
Patients may require surgical removal or other treatments if the breast lipoma becomes inflamed, hurts, or begins to drain a foul-smelling fluid. More tests or eventual removal may be needed if the tumor rapidly increases in size. In rare cases, cancer cells can develop at the general location of the breast lipoma. However, these malignant growths are usually not produced by the lesion itself.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
