Lipomas are the most benign soft tissue tumor. They are easy to identify by examination as they are circular, slightly mobile and are located right under the skin. Almost no matter what size they grow to they are generally painless. The vast majority of lipomas are fairly small and 1 cm or less in size. They usually occur as a single soft tissue mass in adults.
But there are many different types of lipomas as they are not just one single type. Certain types of lipomas are congenital, grow to bigger sizes and are not just restricted to the subcutaneous tissues. They can be partially located in the muscle and be more ‘invasive’. They continue to grow over time and cause discomfort by putting pressure on the surrounding tissues.
This is an example of a congenital intramuscular lipoma that was removed off of the scapula (shoulder blade) on the back. While part of it was right under the skin, a larger part of it had to be removed from the muscle right down to the surface of the scapular bone. Despite its large size it can be removed through a relatively small incision for minimal scarring..
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana