Leg Fatty TumorsTt
Fatty tumors in legs come in two different types–benign and malignant. There are three different kinds of benign fat tissue tumors–lipomas, the most common; lipoblastomas, occurring in infants and young children; and hibernomas, which are like lipomas but much less common. A malignant or cancerous soft tissue tumor is called a sarcoma. There are two types: osteosarcomas, which develop from bone, and soft tissue sarcomas which can develop from fat, muscle, nerves, fibrous tissues, blood vessels or deep skin tissues. They can be found in any part of the body, but most occur in the arms or legs. Sarcomas are not common and most are called carcinomas.
Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment of Benign Fatty Tumors
A lipoma is a slow-growing, fatty lump usually situated between your skin and muscle layer. It moves easily with finger pressure, is doughy to the touch and generally not tender. Lipomas can become painful if they grow and press on nerves. Most are detected during middle age. The exact cause of lipomas is not known, but they do tend to run in families, indicating perhaps a genetic predisposition. Diagnosis of this type tumor is usually done with a physical exam or a tissue sample (biopsy) for lab findings. Sometimes an ultrasound or MRI or CT scan is used if the tumor is large, has unusual features or seems to go deeper than the fatty tissue. In a small number of cases the lipoma is actually a form of cancer called a liposarcoma, but these are usually very painful. There is usually no treatment for a lipoma unless it bothers you, is painful or starts to grow. Surgical removal is the most common form of treatment. Steroid injections will shrink the tumor but usually doesn’t eliminate it. Liposuction uses a needle and syringe to remove the lump, but it is difficult to remove the entire lipoma with this method.
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