Lipoma Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, And Treatment

Medical experts don't know what causes a lipoma, but some think it's a response to a physical trauma. Others think that the lipoma already exists and is brought to light because of the injury.

Here are some possible risk factors:

Lack of Exercise As with many things, being physically active may protect you. Some doctors believe that lipomas occur more often in inactive people.
Genetics Lipomas often run in families, so genes may play a role.
Age Though lipomas can develop in anyone, they are most likely to appear in middle-aged adults between age 40 and 60.
Certain Medical Conditions A person may develop one or more lipomas if they have Gardner syndrome (an inherited condition that causes benign and malignant tumors to form), adiposis dolorosa, familial multiple lipomatosis, or Madelung disease (seen mostly in men who are heavy drinkers).

Prognosis of Lipoma
The outlook for lipomas is often very good. Unless the lipomas hurt or continue to grow or change, you won’t need any treatment other than making sure your doctor takes a look during your regular physical exam.

People with lipomas are not more likely to develop liposarcoma. Atypical lipomas may turn into liposarcoma, but it is rare. Atypical lipomas tend to be larger and located in an extremity (like the arms), rather than, say, the torso. 

Duration of Lipoma
Once a lipoma is surgically removed, it very likely won’t return. Many people may choose to live with the lipoma if it is located in a not visible place and is not painful.