I Have a Lump on the Back of my Head. Could it Be Something Other Than Lipoma?

Lumps on the back of the head are commonly lipomas, but it is possible that your lump could be something else.  An examination would be needed to try and determine what your lump might be.  Sometimes lumps can be made of bone and sometimes they are made up of soft tissue.  You might try getting a second opinion from another doctor to see if there is a difference of opinion in your diagnosis or not.  

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

There are many things that could cause a growth on the scalp such as a lipoma, cyst, osteoma (bony growth), skin cancer, or lymph node. A lipoma can usually be diagnosed with relatively good certainty by physical exam and history. Some lipomas can be adherent to muscle or bone, and might be less mobile than others. When there is a painful mass and the diagnosis is unclear, a biopsy or excision is recommended, but an in-person evaluation is warranted prior to any treatment or formal opinions.
All the best,

  Of course, it is impossible to say without seeing you.  Perhaps, this is not a lipoma and could represent an epidermal inclusion cyst or something else.  The only way to be sure is to have it removed and submitted for pathology.

Yes.  It could be something else.

 

Lumps on the scalp are usually cysts.  The oily secretions that would accumulate in your hair if you did not shower for week comes from glands in the skin.  These can become plugged up and cause cysts. These can become hard and firm and even fixed if the scalp is tight where they are.  
While it is possible you have a lipoma, more likely you have a “pilar cyst” or “sebaceous cyst”.  The good news is both the cysts and lipomas are usually benign (not cancer).  Especially if they’ve been stable for many years without change. 
Still the only way to know for sure would be to remove it and have if looked at under a microscope. 
Best to see your M.D. for evaluation.  Signs such as rapid growth, pain, bleeding or other strange occurrences should cause you to biopsy.

 

Stay Well,

 

 

Erik Borncamp, MD, FACS

Although masses of the scalp can be totally benign, they should be evaluated physically by a physician and in some cases should be biopsied to determine a definitive diagnosis.  Cysts, either pillar which contain a waxy biproduct of hair follicles, or oil containing are both benign and common on the scalp.  Lipomas are also benign and commonly occur on the scalp.  The specific location on the scalp as well as the feel of the lesion help to guide the clinician in determining the nature of the mass.  On occasion, masses can be more insidious and may imaging or other studies to determine their nature and possible underlying connection to deeper structures.   If you are not satisfied with the explanation you first received from your doctor, you may need to seek a second opinion.   Hope it worked out. 

While lipomas can and do occur on the scalp (and forehead area even more so), the more common lump meeting your description is called a pilar cyst or sebaceous cyst. These are common because they arise from the hair follicle/oil gland units which are extremely prominent on the scalp. The firmness of your lump and the fact that it doesn't move points in the direction of a cyst. Skin cysts generally can't be moved relative to the skin because they arise in the skin and are part of the skin itself. Lipomas, on the other hand, occur under the skin, are not part of the skin and are therefor mobile relative to the overlying skin. As always however, the best bet is to speak to a board-certified specialist such as a plastic surgeon or dermatologist to ensure the diagnosis is correct.

A mass situated just beneath the skin may very well be a lipoma, but there are also many other possible conditions that may present as such.  Cysts are also commonly found in this location.  A cyst that is irritated or infected may be quite painful.  Another possibility is the presence of an ingrown hair.  
Rarely, this could represent a type of cancer.  It is recommended that you get the lesion evaluated and perhaps removed.  An examination of the tumor under the microscope will confirm its exact identity.  
I wish you the best of luck.

So, you consulted a doctor and after examination thought it possibly is a lipoma. You consulted Dr. Google and wondering? Lumps in the scalp can be lipomas or inclusion cysts are the most common. But without examination we can not make a diagnosis or advise

   Your description does sound like perhaps other pathology than a lipoma. Only way to know is to have it removed and get a pathology diagnosis. No question I would have it removed