Lipomas
Lipomas are common benign fatty-tissue growths, evaluated per AAFP soft-tissue mass guidance.
Symptoms
A soft, doughy, slow-growing lump under the skin that moves easily beneath your fingers and is usually painless.
Causes and risk
The exact cause is unclear, though lipomas can run in families (familial multiple lipomatosis); they're most common in adults between 40 and 60.
How it is evaluated
Diagnosis is usually clinical; imaging or biopsy is reserved for masses 5 cm or larger, deep to the muscle fascia, firm, fixed in place, rapidly growing, or painful -- features that can signal the rare malignant look-alike, atypical lipomatous tumor/liposarcoma, per AAFP guidance.
Treatment
Most lipomas need no treatment beyond reassurance; excision is an option for cosmetic reasons, discomfort, or diagnostic uncertainty.
When to seek care
Rapid growth, firmness, fixation to surrounding tissue, or size over 5 cm should prompt imaging or referral to rule out a malignant soft-tissue tumor rather than assuming it's a simple lipoma.