What's the difference between lipoma and ganglion cyst?

Lipomas are benign fatty tumors that occur under the skin and less commonly within the muscle. They are associated with mild discomfort and a lump underneath the skin. It is always best to talk to an expert plastic surgeon to determine whether the lipoma is possibly a cyst or a tumor or hernia. We would have to remove the lipoma to be sure that it is not something else and we usually do this by sending it to a pathologist for evaluation. If a lipoma is painful, then an exam is needed to make sure it is not compressing on a nerve or whether the diagnosis is different. Aftercare for a lipoma includes gentle compression and Plato’s Scar Serum twice daily on the wound.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

Thank you for sharing your question and I am sorry to hear that you have continued symptoms related to your wrist mass.  To answer your question, a lipoma is a local collection of fat cells that can be present anywhere in the body.  These are benign tumors and rarely cause symptoms.  A ganglion cyst is a tumor that arises from a joint.  Ganglion cysts contain articular fluid and tend to grow in size with repeated use of the joint.  Lipomas can be treated with a small office procedure while a ganglion requires an operating room. I would recommend seeing a hand specialist in consultation.