Lipomas
A lipoma is a benign growth of fatty tissue that is usually found just below the skin. Lipomas can occur almost anywhere on the body. A lipoma can be described as a soft, rubbery bulge that feels like it can move because it is not connected to the overlying skin. Lipomas tend to grow slowly, often over a period of months or years. Lipomas rarely cause pain, and so most people have no symptoms. However, a person with a lipoma can have some pain if the lipoma presses on the nerves or has some blood vessels running through it.
These are usually large (5 cm or more in diameter) and grow rapidly. If you are concerned about a lipoma which has started to increase in size you should book an appointment so that we can have a look at it and potentially perform a biopsy or send you for imaging studies. In most cases, however, we will just monitor the lipoma unless your preference is to remove it for cosmetic purposes.