What is breast lipoma?

We have learned about facial lipoma before, and we know that the main cause of lipoma is the activation of tumorigenic factors. So, what is breast lipoma? Everyone knows that no matter what kind of tumor, if it is not effectively eradicated and worsens, it will lead to the onset of cancer. Therefore, we must pay attention to it.

Definition: Lipoma is prone to occur in areas with abundant subcutaneous fat tissue. Breast lipoma is a rare benign tumor of the breast and is easily misdiagnosed clinically. Its diagnosis mainly relies on medical history, physical examination and needle aspiration cytology.

Clinical features: It is more common in middle-aged women and above, and more common in those with full breasts and obesity; it is often discovered accidentally. Most of them are single lumps, which are relatively superficial, soft in texture, with clear boundaries, smooth surface, good mobility, no tenderness, no adhesion to surrounding tissues, a lobed base, and the size is unrelated to the menstrual cycle. No abnormalities are found in the bilateral axillary lymph nodes.

Mammography X-ray examination: A round low-density shadow with uniform density, clear boundaries and thin walls can be seen in the breast. The breast glands are all pushed to one quadrant, and there are no other special findings.

Needle aspiration examination: For those who have difficulty in diagnosis, needle aspiration cytology examination can help confirm the diagnosis.

Surgical treatment: The main treatment for breast lipoma is surgery.

The curved incision is used to cut the skin and subcutaneous tissue, separate the mass, and completely remove the tumor.

Pathological examination: The tumor tissue is composed of differentiated and mature adipocytes, which are diffusely distributed, have no lobular structure, and have an intact capsule.

What are the dangers of breast lipoma?

It is understood that most surface tumors will not grow indefinitely, but some may change. How to judge whether it is good or bad? Look at the growth rate of the tumor: Tumor cells have a tendency to grow, and benign tumor cells grow slowly. Once a tumor appears to grow faster, in a short period of time, such as one or two months, or two or three months, it becomes much larger than before, and grows exponentially or several times larger. This may be a sign of malignancy. This growth rate does not have an absolute value, it is mainly compared with the past.

Shape of the tumor: Tumors with regular shapes and clear edges are mostly benign; on the contrary, tumors with irregular shapes, unclear edges, and uneven surfaces are mostly malignant. For example, a lump on the breast may be a lipoma or cancer. A lipoma feels smooth, complete, and can be pushed away, and it does not stick to the skin. A cancerous tumor has a rough surface and is burr-like in shape, and the lump sticks to the skin.

Look at the hardness of the tumor: the harder the tumor is, the greater the possibility of malignancy. Look at the mobility of the tumor: benign tumors are more mobile.

That is, it is separated from the surrounding tissues. For example, a lipoma is very soft and can be pushed by hand; while a malignant tumor has little mobility or is even immobile, and is adhered to the skin and the base. Check whether there is ulceration on the surface of the tumor: If a tumor on the surface of the body ruptures, in addition to tuberculosis or local infection, a malignant tumor should be suspected.

A single subcutaneous lipoma that causes movement dysfunction can be surgically removed; multiple small lipomas do not need to be treated because they are self-limited and may even disappear on their own; deep lipomas have the possibility of malignant transformation, that is, turning into liposarcoma, so they need to be closely observed and regularly reviewed by B-ultrasound. If the tumor proliferates rapidly or compression symptoms occur, it should be surgically removed and pathologically examined; if it has turned into a liposarcoma, chemotherapy or radiotherapy should be considered after surgery to improve the cure rate.

To sum up, the possibility of lipoma being cured is very high. The key lies in how we treat it. For patients suffering from breast lipoma, the first thing to do is to maintain an optimistic attitude and a happy mood so that they can overcome the disease. Secondly, actively cooperate with the doctor's treatment. For healthy female friends, we can prevent the occurrence of lipomas in our daily lives and reduce the probability of disease.