Despite the fact that the causes of thousands of diseases are known to modern medicine, doctors can not say anything specific about what provokes lipoma. This is one of the insufficiently studied pathologies. At the same time, almost every one of us understands what a lipoma is. People call it wen. In fact, this is the definition of pathology.
Short description
Lipoma in ICD-10 is allocated a separate code D17 "Benign neoplasm of adipose tissue." In itself, it represents a benign formation resembling an elastic solid knot. Lipoma does not cause significant discomfort, despite the likelihood of a rapid increase in size. In this case, it is impossible not to note cases when complex pathological processes begin to occur inside the wen, leading to irreversible complications and terrible consequences. This is the main argument in favor of an immediate visit to a doctor, passing diagnostics and treatment.
Answering a question about what a lipoma is, many consider it to be a harmless defect on the body. Fat subcutaneous formation really has an unaesthetic appearance and, if localized in a prominent place, spoils the patient's appearance. Such a wen can arise almost everywhere: on the back, shoulders, chest, face. There is a lipoma on the neck, mammary gland, in the groin.
Unlike other benign tumors, this one has clear boundaries, its shape does not change when pressed. Zhirovik sometimes appears on the tissues of internal organs, but in this case, its presence can adversely affect their work. Such lipomas are more dangerous than cutaneous ones.
Classification of Entities
In terms of internal composition, adipose tissue is divided into:
- Myolipomas - consist of half of the muscle fibers.
- Angiolipomas - the formation of a tumor occurs from pathologically altered blood vessels, adipose, muscle and connective tissue cells.
- Fibrolipomas - arise from subcutaneous fat and fibrous tissue.
- Myxolipomas are a mucus-producing formation.
Only a qualified specialist can make an accurate diagnosis and establish the cause of the disease, therefore, when a specific formation appears on the body, regardless of its location, it is impossible to postpone a visit to the doctor. Remember: even a seemingly harmless seal may turn out to be a cancerous tumor.
What provokes
As already mentioned, doctors are not yet ready to name the exact causes of lipoma. It is believed that this benign formation of unknown etiology occurs against the background of failures in metabolic processes. Fatty acids arise as a result of the accumulation of fat cells and their further growth. Ignoring the signs of the disease, a benign tumor can grow to a huge size. Then it will become more than just a harmless cosmetic defect.
It is possible to understand what lipoma is without much difficulty, but it is not yet possible to determine the etiology of the disease. However, researchers agree on its most likely causes. In their opinion, provoking factors can be:
- hormonal disorders in the body;
- metabolic disorders;
- unbalanced diet and bad habits;
- diseases of the liver, kidneys;
- hereditary predisposition;
- functional disorders in the pancreas, thyroid gland;
- chronic cholecystitis, gallstone disease;
- diabetes.
A favorable background for the development of education can be considered an inactive lifestyle, lack of movement, physical activity. Fatty acids are found with the same frequency in both adults and children. In order to prevent any complications, it is important to consult a doctor in a timely manner and undergo the necessary examination.
Symptoms of the disease
As a rule, wen appear in places where there is an accumulation of adipose tissue. At first, they seem like a small soft seal that you can feel yourself. Education grows in size slowly, but if no action is taken in time, it can reach gigantic proportions and even exceed the size of an apple.
Each type of tumor, depending on its location, corresponds to a separate marking in the ICD-10. Lipomas can form under the skin:
- D17.0 - head, face, neck;
- D17.1 - torso;
- D17.2 - limbs.
Zhirovki on internal organs are classified as education:
- D17.4 - chest organs;
- D17.5 - abdominal and retroperitoneal spaces;
- D17.6 - spermatic cord;
- D17.7 – D17.9 - of other and unspecified locations.
Most often, the places where the adipose appears are arms and legs, back (in this case, the formation can significantly interfere with movements and create discomfort). A common occurrence is a lipoma on the head: a tumor can occur both under the hair and on the face. The adipose formed on the head usually has a spherical shape, its contents resemble subcutaneous tissue. Such a tumor is mobile. Lipomas on the neck and head are often differentiated from cysts of the sebaceous ducts, since both pathologies have similar external manifestations. In this case, a cyst occurs in the tissues of the output of the sebaceous ducts, and a lipoma - under the skin.
Lipoma of the internal organs
There are cases when such a benign tumor developed in the brain. In this case, the main symptom for patients was a background headache, nausea, and other manifestations associated with an increase in intracranial pressure. Having heard the diagnosis, many patients fearfully ask the doctor: “What is it and how to treat it?”. Lipoma of internal organs is removed only surgically.
Often in medical practice, pancreatic lipomatosis occurs. The cause of the disease often becomes chronic alcoholism, diabetes mellitus, chronic gastrointestinal pathology. The fatty acids of this species are prone to faster growth than those that form on the skin. It is the large size of the formation that causes the discomfort.
Breast lipoma in women is provoked by wearing too tight underwear. Fibrolipoma forms in the chest against the background of hormonal failure, frequent pregnancies or prolonged continuous use of contraceptives. In isolated cases, the lipoma can be malignant, moving from a benign to a malignant form. To prevent the development of breast cancer, all women after 40 years of age need to undergo annual consultations with a mammologist.
There is one significant difference between the fatty tissue that appears on the skin (for example, on the back) and the lipoma of the internal organs. The external adipose does not hurt, has a purely aesthetic character, and the internal tumor brings a lot of discomfort. If a lipoma appears on the internal organs, it significantly interferes with their full-fledged work, which leads to a deterioration in overall health, loss of performance. The patient may experience:
- nausea;
- vomiting
- headache;
- loss of appetite;
- high blood pressure;
- discomfort when palpating the seal.
Symptoms of a lipoma that affects the body from the inside will directly depend on the functions and purpose of a particular internal organ. Thus, in order to avoid the development of cancer processes, a person must immediately respond to the appearance of any seal on his body, even if it turns out to be a harmless wen.
How to identify a lipoma
Taking into account all of the above symptoms, the conclusion suggests itself that there are no difficulties in diagnosing fat formation. If an education with perceptible boundaries is felt under the skin, there is practically no doubt - this is a wen. In any case, the tumor is best shown to the doctor. Such neoplasms can indicate inflammation of the lymph nodes, and also have a malignant nature.
Consult a surgeon for advice. The doctor, in addition to a visual examination, will direct the patient to undergo instrumental studies:
- Ultrasound
- CT
- MRI
- radiography.
What is a lipoma? This is a benign tumor, and to make sure its safety, they do a biopsy. Samples of the adipose are sent for cytological examination.
If a lipoma appears in the breast, a woman will be prescribed a mammogram. By the way, the mammary glands are the organs that are most prone to the formation of non-cancerous and cancerous tumors.
Despite the many reasons for the formation of lipomas, there is only one way to treat this disease - operational. Zhiroviki, although they do not pose a threat to life, require urgent removal, especially when it comes to internal formations.
Treatment methods
There are several ways to get rid of lipoma. Traditional is surgery. The lipoma is removed by the radical "classical" method: over the place where the adipose has formed, an incision is made and the tumor is removed. The advantages of surgery are a guarantee of complete cure and the absence of relapse in the future. The disadvantages of the intervention are many include a scar on the skin after removal of the lipoma. Modern medicine has methods and tools to avoid this. For the treatment of lipomas on the head, neck and face, the surgical method is not used today. He was replaced by a cosmetic procedure.
Laser lipoma removal is performed under local anesthesia. This method of treating benign tumors is non-invasive, since it does not injure the skin and is considered the safest, not requiring long-term healing of tissues. The only disadvantage of eliminating lipoma with a laser is the cost of such a procedure. In Moscow, the removal of a wen will cost the patient in the amount of 3 to 11 thousand rubles.
Laparotomy is the third way to get rid of a neoplasm of an internal organ lipoma, similar to a surgical one. However, unlike conventional intervention, this one is less invasive. To remove lipomas, tissue sections are cut to a minimum size. There are no scars and scars after laparotomy.
Liposuction is another treatment for lipoma. The price of such a procedure is cheaper than the cost of laser removal (an average of about 3-5 thousand rubles). The essence of liposuction is to soften and suck off a wen using a special device. Penetration is carried out with a thin needle, so there is no trace of interference in patients. However, this method cannot be called impeccable: the chances of re-formation of the tumor remain.
Folk ways
Removing a wen is the only method for the effective treatment of lipomatosis. However, most patients use additional folk remedies. They will not help remove the lipoma. Meanwhile, alternative therapy is able to stop the growth of a benign tumor. Further, in detail about the most common and effective folk recipes for treating lipoma at home.
Tincture of Lemon with Garlic
This tool has proven itself in the treatment of skin and subcutaneous formations. To prepare the balm, you will need two lemons and 4-5 cloves of garlic, 0.5 l of vodka. The raw materials are crushed, cut into thin plates and poured with alcohol, after which they are sent for a week to a dark place.
Ready balm is used externally as compresses, imposing on the seal. Keep on the skin for no more than 15 minutes. You can take the balm inside. It is said that the product cleans clogged glands and blood vessels.
Tea mushroom
Outwardly, this product resembles a jellyfish, so at first glance it may seem disgusting. However, Kombucha has a beneficial effect on the body, lowering cholesterol and removing toxins, toxins, harmful substances. It is necessary to tear a small piece from it and attach it to the tumor. The procedure is important to do several times. If you believe the reviews, a small lipoma passes very quickly. Many note that there is not even a trace left.
Honey compress
With a large lipoma, folk remedies will be ineffective, but if the wen is small and has arisen recently, and its probable reason lies in the blockage of the sebaceous glands, this simple remedy is suitable. A compress of honey and medical alcohol is prepared in a 2: 1 ratio, i.e., 50 ml of alcohol will be needed per 100 g of natural bee product. Everything is thoroughly mixed and rubbed into the place of compaction throughout the day.
Recipes for lipomatosis of internal organs
To prepare a collection of calendula, valerian, St. John's wort and nettle, it is necessary to mix all the components in equal proportions, after which one tablespoon of the resulting mixture is poured with a glass of boiling water and left under the lid overnight. In the morning, the finished product is filtered and taken for 2 tbsp. l every two hours. The duration of therapy is 1-2 months. To prevent the recurrence of lipoma, it is recommended to undergo treatment twice a year.
Good results in the treatment of adipose gives grass worm. To prepare the infusion, use its dry root (10 g). The raw material is poured with cold water and set on fire, brought to a boil. Once the product has cooled, it must be filtered. You need to take the medicine on an empty stomach three times a day. The course of treatment is 2 months.
Infusion of birch buds and bean wings is also used. The crushed ingredients are mixed in equal proportions. The ratio of water and treatment mixture is the same as in the previous recipe: for 1 tbsp. l 250 ml of boiling water. To infuse the drink, half an hour is enough, after which the product is filtered and drunk 70 ml three times a day before meals. According to user reviews, the first positive changes occur after 2 weeks of use.
Folk remedies in the treatment of lipomas are used as additional. Often with their help, prevent the occurrence of repeated formations. In this case, to prevent adipose tissue, it is important to follow the basic recommendation - to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Can there be complications
Lipoma is an accumulation of body fat under the skin or on the internal organs that does not threaten the life of the patient. It is important to consider that the cause of its occurrence may be different hormonal and metabolic disorders in the body. The consequences of such failures are unpredictable, so you need to think about the treatment of lipomas immediately.
Sometimes a simple wen grows into cancer. Oncology develops if the lipoma is encapsulated, and irreversible cell division processes begin inside it. The longer the patient ignores the tumor, the higher the likelihood of developing liposarcoma - a malignant formation. A harbinger of cancer may be protracted inflammation, as evidenced by:
- external hyperemia;
- pain;
- rapid tumor growth;
- filling the wen with liquid.
If one or more signs appear, you should immediately contact a specialist. It is important that the patient understands how dangerous the lipoma becomes in this case, what it is and how to treat it after the transition to cancer. The best prevention of liposarcoma is the timely removal of a benign neoplasm.
Lipoma in childhood
Often this disease is diagnosed in babies. If the tumor does not increase in size and does not fester, it does not pose any danger to the child. Most often, a wen occurs on the head. When a seal appears under the skin of a child, it is necessary to show it to a specialist and pass all the necessary tests to exclude the oncological nature of the neoplasm.
Treatment of lipomas in children is carried out the same way as in adults - surgically. In this case, you can not self-medicate in any case. By external manifestations, lipomatosis is similar to such complex diseases as:
- Lymphadenitis is an inflammation of the lymph nodes, in which seals appear in the form of subcutaneous lumps on the body. In most cases, they are localized behind the ears. The disease develops against the background of infectious and inflammatory processes in the body.
- Mumps (mumps). The disease is characterized by an increase in body temperature, weakness, chills, the formation of characteristic bumps behind the ears caused by inflammation of the salivary glands.
- Cyst. It can manifest itself in different ways, most often occurs on the neck or head, is formed in utero. Treatment must be carried out urgently.
In any case, the neoplasm on the child’s body should be evaluated by a specialist. The doctor will determine if there is any danger in him or not. If necessary, treatment will be prescribed. If you make independent attempts to get rid of lipoma, complications and relapses are not excluded.
The etiology of the disease is not fully understood by medicine. Like any other ailment, wen is better to prevent than to treat. When a lipoma occurs under the skin, the causes should be sought in the metabolism. Fatty acids on internal organs are most likely provoked by malnutrition, which implies the use of foods enriched with cholesterol and chemical additives.