My son was diagnosed with a lipoma on his head under the skin on Friday. He had a skull X-ray and will also have a ct Monday or Tuesday.

I am not looking for medical advice but would like to know if somebody here has had it and what the procedure of taking it out will be like. Thanks in advance.

Hey there, a lipoma as you know is a bening growth made of adipose (fat) tissue, I am pretty sure that the CT scan is just to be on the safe side. I have had a CT scan and it takes depending on the zone to be scanned ffrom 5 minutes (head and neck) to 20 minutes or more if they will scan the whole body...if what they will do is an MRI then the procedure is a bit longer and noisier but the CT scan is nothing to be afraid of really. Best wishes!!!

Thanks Angela-74. He's not afraid of the ct, in fact he's taking it rather lightly, I just wonder what the operation will be like.

I am guessing it will be a simple one depending on the location of course even might be done under local anesthetics...

The procedure depends on the size and on details of the location.

Years ago, my AOH had a lipoma on one of her shoulder blades. Because she was so afraid of the surgery, she waited way too long. That thing eventually covered an area of about 9 x 6 inches and was more than an inch thick. However, removing that lunker could still be done under local anesthesia at the doctor's practice, and she could go home after an hour or so.

My friend was born with a cyst on the back of her head. For her it was associated with a genetic condition which affects her bowel, a rare condition that runs in her family.

It didn't grow at all and she finally had it removed as a teen. The did a scan to make sure that the cyst was only on the surface and not in the bone.

She wore a head bandage to school. She got nasty unsupportive comments, so then she left her bandage off. For some reason she got much more impressive comments when people could see the 12 staples in her head... very impressive....

My dad has a lipoma on his back. He had it removed a couple of times... day surgery, no major dramas...

It's interesting you mention that. When they saw his x-ray they said it looks as if he was born with some sort of abnormality on the skull and that's just where the lump is.

I've had lipomas for the last 15 years or so. I had one biopsied in the early days to confirm it was a lipoma. I have a number of them just under the skin in various parts of my body but none of them cause me any problems. I'm quite cuddly so they aren't too noticeable! However, when I have lost weight in the past I have felt my skin being tight where they are located, but that passes after a while. The advice I have received is that if they aren't bothering me then there is no need to remove them as that will leave a scar. The procedure for the biopsy was quite simple. It was on the inside of my upper right arm. Local anaesthetic, incision, excision, stitches.....all over in 15-30 mins I think. I took a bus to and from the hospital so it really wasn't anything extensive. Every now and then I ask a Doctor if there is anything I can do about them just to see what current advice is but the answer has always been the same, in the US and and the UK, that they are harmless unless their location is pressing against something else and causing discomfort and that they are probably best just left in. I think if I had only one I might have it removed but as I have a number of them I don't really want small scars all over!

Thank you so much for telling me this. The problem my son has is that there is not much space between the skull and the skin which is why it must be removed, or else it will grow inside and damage the skull bone. And it is kind of scary to have surgery on your head.

What you describe is called multiple lipomatosis, and it indeed is as harmless as a single lipoma, the degree of nuisance depending mainly on the location (being unsightly, provoking questions or stupid comments, being uncomfortable). I have one patient who has had it for 45 years, never had a real problem.

Althought it is surgery on his head, the procedure isnt particularly invasive, as the lipoma lies just under the surface.

If this wasnt the case, I doubt I would have had mine removed at the doctors practice rather than a hospital.

Lipomas can grow back however. Mine has to some extent, but it does not bother me except some slight aesthetic concern and the concern that it gets much bigger.

He's scheduled for a ct tomorrow afternoon and we dearly hope it's just a lipoma and nothing else..

Thinking of you.

I had one taken out 2 years ago on my back... as I was afraid to have local anaesthetic, I had to have a general one. The procedure went well and I didn't have to help packing up as we were moving at that time Hope everything will go well with the scan.

My 15 year old son had one removed earlier this year. His was located at the end of his eyebrow. The procedure was relatively simple done under a local. I went to the hospital with him and he went into the room on his own. Half an hour later he returned and after an explanation of what had gone on with the consultant, we went home. He wasn't allowed to do sports for 4 weeks but apart from that, life went quickly back to normal. He loved the attention at school of his stitches near his eye!!

He had a biospy done on it and the results came back very quickly - all okay. As a parent I don't think we can help but worry but once everything is explained we remain calm for our offspring. Good luck and best wishes.

Im sure it is fine. When I was first diagnosed, even though the lump was quite big, the doc took one look at it, said benign lipoma, dont worry, and that was that.... he said I could get it out or keep it in, no worries either way, just if it gets bigger it might cause some discomfort when sitting on a hard chair (was in my back).

The point being, when they recognise a lipoma, then its unlikely to be anything worse.

I left it for a few years then decided to have it out. But I understand your concern as a parent and I hope it all goes well!

Ok, he' had the ct but I'm a little angry. We have to wait until tomorrow morning and call our GP because she gets the results - couldn't they just tell me, ok it actually is a lipoma or, I'm afraid we have a bigger problem?

Maybe the person who is 'qualified' to give the results 'officially' wasn't available. One never knows the rulings on these things. I have every sympathy with your frustration and worry though. Another sleepless night is really not fun. Fingers still crossed though it is messing up my typing something awful.

They did the same to me with some urine tests. The assistant wouldn't even let me galnce at them till she got to hand them over to the doc some 30 mins later. I was walking around on her heels all that time as I was really worried. I guess it's some sort of protocol. (And I say it's better than the ultrasound guy handing me over my results back in Hungary! I worried myself sick by googling all those Latin phrases before my appointment with the doc...)

Worst case scenario: It's not a lipoma. It's a benign tumor on his skull bone...and I'm running around in circles.