How do fatty tumors form

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, there is no known way to prevent lipomas from forming. Lipomas are typically harmless, and the good news is they tend to stay that way.

Depending on size and location, however, they may press on organs and cause shortness of breath or constipation. Lipomas are the most common fatty tumor found in adults and are likeliest to show up in middle age, between age 40 and Their incidence is 2.

Five percent of people with lipomas have more than one of them, according to StatPearls. A number of major medical centers and medical organizations offer advice and information about lipomas on their websites:. Sources Lipoma. August Lipomas: Overview. Cleveland Clinic.

March 18, Salam G. Lipoma Excision. American Family Physician. March Lipoma Pathology. September 21, A lipoma is a fatty tumor located just below the skin. It isn't cancer and is usually harmless. A lipoma is a slow-growing, fatty lump that's most often situated between your skin and the underlying muscle layer.

A lipoma, which feels doughy and usually isn't tender, moves readily with slight finger pressure. Lipomas are usually detected in middle age. Some people have more than one lipoma. A lipoma isn't cancer and usually is harmless. Treatment generally isn't necessary, but if the lipoma bothers you, is painful or is growing, you may want to have it removed.

They tend to grow quickly, have an irregular shape, and are much more likely to be painful to the touch. As stated previously, the cause of lipomas is not well understood.

They are:. Lipomas are most common in people between the ages of 40 to 60, or middle aged adults. Lipomas are much more common in people who report a family history of developing lipomas.

Some medical conditions increase the risk of developing lipomas, such as Gardner syndrome, adiposis dolorosa, familial multiple lipomatosis, or Madelung disease. If they are bothering you physically, for example if you have a lipoma on the underside of your thigh and it hurts to sit down, then you may want to consider getting it removed.

Lipomas differ from liposarcomas fatty cancerous tumors. These are also the most noticeable ones, as they look and feel like soft, dome-shaped lumps under the skin. They vary in size from pea-sized to several centimetres in diameter. The most common sites where lipomas develop are on the shoulders, the chest and the back.

However, other areas of the skin can develop a lipoma. Lipomas can less commonly form inside the body too. However, in most of these cases you will not be aware that you have a lipoma, as you cannot see them and they rarely cause any problems. Anyone can develop a lipoma at any age. Lipomas are common. Some people inherit a tendency to develop lipomas and may have several on different parts of the body. Sometimes as many as 20 or more develop.

However, it is more common to develop just one or two. Book a private appointment with a local pharmacist today to discover treatment options. In themselves, lipomas are not serious and most lipomas cause no symptoms or problems. Usually if you have a lipoma, it does not cause any symptoms but you notice a painless lump.

Lipomas grow very slowly. Sometimes a lipoma under the skin can be unsightly if it grows to be several centimetres across. Rarely, a lipoma may press on another structure and cause problems. For example, if one presses on a nerve it may cause pain. Also, rarely, a lipoma may develop in the gut wall and cause problems such as pain or a blockage of the gut.