Lipomas on the neck, is surgery necessary?

• The appearance of large lipomas on the neck is quite rare. If they do appear, a specialist will need to carry out tests to make a diagnosis.
• Lipomas in the neck can cause the patient to have breathing difficulties and may even be life-threatening, so their removal may be necessary.
• Surgical removal of the lipoma in the neck is the most recommended technique for its elimination, as it is the only one that completely removes it.

A lipoma is a kind of lump made up of fat cells from adipose tissue, which can be found anywhere on the body, especially on the shoulders, back and neck.

Lipomas are benign tumours that occur under the skin, i.e. they are subcutaneous and are a common reason for medical consultation, as they can be found in any person, regardless of age and gender.

It is estimated that 1% of the population has at least one lipoma.

About 10% of lipomas are located in the neck and can vary in size from relatively small to very large.

Lipomas on the neck, like lipomas on other parts of the body, have a rounded shape and are soft to the touch. They are not attached to deep parts of the skin, but are more superficial. That is why they move under our skin when we touch them.

Lipomas on the neck can arise from a variety of causes or risk factors. Although it is not known exactly what causes lipomas on the neck, some of the risk factors we can point to are the following:

• Hereditary factors: This is the most common cause of the appearance of lipomas and lipomatosis. In patients whose direct relatives have suffered from lipomas, it is very likely that they will also suffer from them.
• Obesity: Although there are no conclusive studies to prove it, it is believed that their appearance may be due to the patient's weight gain or obesity, as they are lumps formed by fatty tissue.
• Gender: Lipomas can appear in both men and women, however, women are more likely to develop them because they accumulate more fat, especially in areas such as the thighs, breasts or abdomen.
• Medical history: Having liver disease or problems controlling blood sugar may be risk factors for developing a lipoma on the neck.

Lipomas on the neck appear as a painless mass that grows slowly or not at all.

They are usually located on the side or back of the neck and the symptoms they may show are particularly noticeable if the lipoma compresses structures located in the patient's neck area.

The symptoms that the patient may experience are discomfort in the neck area or even breathing difficulties, which is why its removal by surgery in this case would be the most advisable thing to do.

Tumours or lipomas in the neck area are the cause of many visits to the specialist and it is the specialist who must confirm or reject whether it is a lipoma or something else.

The diagnosis of lipomas in the neck by the specialist is not easy, as the swelling may correspond, for example, to the inflammation of a lymph node (nodes that form part of the immune system), another inflammatory-infectious process, a cyst or a tumour.

To differentiate between these types of inflammation and a lipoma, the specialist can carry out various tests, such as:

• Exhaustive interview with the patient, to find out what their clinical history is and whether they could suffer from a lipoma due to genetic factors.
• Physical examination, in which the specialist performs a palpation of the area.
• Ultrasound or another type of imaging test, which is performed especially when the lipoma is of considerable size or if it is thought to be attached to deeper areas.
• Biopsy, in which a sample of tissue is removed from the lipoma and sent to a laboratory for examination. This is the most common test to confirm the diagnosis.

If the neck lipoma grows or causes discomfort to the patient, the specialist will recommend that it be removed so that the patient is not in any danger. 

The most effective removal and the one that the specialist will recommend the most is surgical, however there are other ways to treat it:

• Liposuction: Using a syringe with a needle, the specialist removes the lipoma.
• Surgical Removal: this is the most demanded form due to its high success rate, as it is the only technique that completely removes the lipoma from the neck.

Lipoma removal is performed through a small incision in the skin, having previously anaesthetised the neck area. It is a very simple surgery and lasts approximately 30 to 60 minutes, although this always depends on the severity of each case and the number of lipomas to be removed.

In conclusion, and in answer to the question posed in the headline of this article "Is surgery necessary for a lipoma in the neck?", the answer is yes, as long as the patient wants to minimise the risks it may cause due to its growth and possible aesthetic reasons.

The neck is a very sensitive area of the body, so its good condition is essential.