Giant Lipoma of the Hand

Abstract

Lipomas have been called “innocent tumors” due to their slow growth without infiltrating neighbouring structures, usually with a rounded or ovoid shape, rarely over 2 cm in size. In the area of the upper limb, lipomas over 5 cm are defined as “giant lipomas”. In this report, we present a rare case of a “giant lipoma” in the hand in a 60-year-old man. He complained of painless swelling, which appeared eight years before and gradually increased in size until the last year, when a significant enlargement appeared; thus, the soft tissue mass led to the inability to perform daily tasks, and the patient sought medical care. Computed tomography suggested the diagnosis of lipoma. Thereafter, successful surgical excision was performed, and no recurrences were observed two years after the operation. The clinical signs, imaging, and treatment methods of this case are briefly presented.

Keywords

• giant lipoma
• hand
• imaging study
• surgery