Is This a Lipoma? The Dr. Told Me To Go Home and Ignore It. (photo)

Question

for a year i have notice a lump on my rib cage that just kept getting bigger. my fiance took me to the ER a few weeks ago to have it looked at and the doc there told me that he was just going to "slap a name on it and call it lipoma" after doing a single cat scan. he also told me to just go home and ignore it. this bothers me because he didnt seem to really care or try to help me with my problem. what test should i have done to make sure it really is lipoma? and what are your opinions on it?

Tom J. Pousti, MD · Answer

Thank you for the question.

	Given that the lesion is increasing in size and is obviously causing you anxiety ( enough to go to the emergency room and seek online consultation),  you may want to have the lesion removed. This will be the only way to know for sure what the lesion is (pathologic evaluation).

	You may want to be seen by her primary care physician who can refer you to the appropriate surgeon for evaluation and possible excision.

	Best wishes.

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

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

Nelson Castillo, MD · Answer

Thank you for sharing your question and photograph.  In most cases a lipoma can be diagnosed with an in-person examination and needs no formal testing.  Removal can be done with a small, in-office procedure to avoid the aesthetic concerns and prevent continued enlargement.  Hope this helps.

Michael Constantin Gartner, DO · Answer

If the CAT scan revealed it is a lipoma, there is no danger but it could possibly get bigger cause pain and should be removed. It could possibly be done under local anesthesia. I would recommend you seek a board-certified plastic surgeon by the American Board of plastic surgery who has a large experience in lipoma removal.

Timothy Mountcastle, MD · Answer

lipomas can be diagnosed by physical exam and cat scans and ultrasounds or even a mri can be quite helpful for near definitive diagnosis though most would argue that most of these tests would be spending way too much money to definitively diagnose something so easily diagnosed by physical exam.

	 

	But the only way to know for sure is to take the mass out and send it for biopsy.

	i agree with the other doctor who stated the E.R. is not the place to get non acute issues handled. the patient should go to either his primary care doctor if he is looking for a diagnosis or to a surgeon - general, plastic or even some dermatologists for definitive biopsy.

Is This a Lipoma? The Dr. Told Me To Go Home and Ignore It. (photo)

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Is This a Lipoma? The Dr. Told Me To Go Home and Ignore It. (photo)

Answers (7)

Answer: Lipoma chest

Answer: Lipoma chest

Answer: Lipoma diagnosis

Answer: Lipoma diagnosis

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Lipoma Removal

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.