Lipoma Lump

This week there were several lump removals at the clinic.  I found one of these lump removals to be quite interesting.  An owner brought in a Labrador/Mix with a large fatty tumor (about 3.5 inches in diameter) underneath it's left armpit.  These tumors are commonly known as lipomas
and are a type of soft tissue tumor.  A lipoma is a slow-growing collection of fat cells usually found just underneath the skin.  They are soft to the touch, usually movable, and generally painless.  Fatty tumors differ from normal fat because they form lumps rather than a flat layer under the skin.  Lipomas are a form of cancer, but they are a benign form.  This means that the affected cells multiply without normal control, but do not travel throughout the body or invade other tissues.  Many lipomas are small in size, but they are capable of enlarging to huge sizes.  Usually, treatment of lipomas is not necessary unless they grow very large to the point where they press on internal organs or interfere with walking and movement.  Normally these fatty tumors sit in a pocket or fibrous case separated from the surrounding tissues, making it easy for them to be removed by simple excision.  Lipomas occur most commonly in older dogs.  Some breeds are more likely than others to develop fatty tumors.  These include Labrador Retrievers, Doberman Pinschers, and Miniature Schnauzers.

 

Lipoma removed from Labrador/Mix