A lipoma is a slowly developing ball of fat located between the skin and the muscle layer that cannot be seen. It usually does not hurt and if you press it with your fingers it is easy to move. In many cases it is not detected and, in addition, several may appear. In any case it is not carcinogenic and is not dangerous to health. It is not necessary to undergo treatment, but if it causes pain and discomfort, it is advisable to remove it.
The exact cause of the appearance of lipoma is not known with certainty, but it seems clear that there is a genetic component because it is common for cases to occur in several members of the same family. It has also been statistically proven that the age group most exposed to this disease is between 40 and 60 years old.
A lipoma can appear in any part of the human body and always has very clear characteristics. They are like a lump that forms just under the skin, small in size, soft to the touch and can be easily moved with the fingers. Sometimes they cause pain.
The doctor will need to perform a visual examination to check for a lipoma. Additionally, I would perform a biopsy to find out the characteristics of the lump. If there is doubt, the diagnosis can be confirmed with an x-ray and some other imaging test such as an MRI. The only delicate point is to rule out that it is a liposarcoma, a cancer of fat cells, because it has an appearance similar to that of a lipoma and can lead to confusion.
In the vast majority of cases, lipoma does not require treatment, but if it causes pain it is advisable to remove it through surgery or liposuction.
There is no effective method of prevention, but since it is a harmless disease, at a medical level it is not considered that it requires a preventive regimen.