There is a small lump in the armpit. What's going on?

If a lump grows in the axillary fossa, it may be caused by a sebaceous cyst, which is a subcutaneous lipoma. Generally, it is a benign tumor and does not require treatment. Of course, if it affects the appearance, it can also be removed surgically. In daily life, you should pay attention to diet. The appearance of lipoma may be related to your daily diet. In addition, it is also closely related to excessive psychological stress.

Causes

The cause of subcutaneous lipoma is not fully understood. Common solitary lipoma is related to the recombination of chromosome 12. The incidence of lipoma is higher in obese people, those with diabetes and high serum cholesterol levels. Sometimes lipomas are present locally after trauma, but it is not clear whether trauma causes lipomas. Multiple patients may have a family history.

Clinical manifestations

It usually presents as subcutaneous, solitary or multiple, slow-growing, flat, round or lobed masses of varying sizes. In single cases, the tumor is larger and is often found on the abdominal wall, chest wall, lower back, shoulders, and neck. It is spindle-shaped or oval, with the long axis mostly parallel to the skin. Multiple lipomas are small, mostly symmetrical, slightly hard, and may be painful.

Lipoma itself usually has no subjective symptoms, but larger tumors may hinder local movement or cause pain due to nerve compression.

Lipoma can be a partial manifestation of Gardner syndrome. In addition to lipoma, patients also have multiple osteomas on the face, epidermoid cysts on the skin, multiple colon polyps, fibromas, etc. Multiple lipomas should also consider the possibility of lipomatosis. The number of tumors can range from a few to several hundred, mainly occurring in the upper body. Some patients have hyperlipidemia, and about 1/3 have a genetic tendency.

When palpated, a soft and elastic mass can be felt. It is not tender, has clear boundaries, has a false sense of fluctuation, has a certain degree of mobility when pushed, and there is usually no obvious abnormality on the surface of the skin.

The only effective treatment is surgical resection. Small lipomas without clinical symptoms generally do not require treatment. For larger solitary lipomas, surgical removal is necessary. Complete resection should be performed during surgery.