Wen (lipoma, fatty tumor, atheroma) is a benign tumor of adipose tissue that occurs most often under the skin of the scalp, back, face.
Lipoma (wen) can develop in any organ containing adipose tissue. A fatty tumor usually does no harm, rarely degenerates into liposarcoma – malignancy.
The exact cause of the formation of lipomas is not known.. It has been suggested that the formation of lipoma is affected by the level of fat metabolism and cholesterol metabolism, the hormonal state of the body, and the violation of the composition and quality of enzymes.
There is a hereditary form of the disease, transmitted from generation to generation and characterized by multiple lipomas that appear already at a young age – familial lipomatosis.
Signs of a lipoma: what does a wen look like?
A small round formation is formed under the skin, elastic in consistency, with a smooth surface, mobile and painless. The skin over the wen does not change its color.
Most often, lipomas are small, up to 1-1.5 cm in diameter, and are detected by accidental examination or palpation. Sometimes lipomas continue to grow, reaching sizes of 4-6 cm or more. In these cases, the lobular structure of the tumor can be felt.
A large lipoma can compress surrounding tissues and organs, causing pain and disrupting their function. Pain in the wen area can also occur in those rare cases when nerve tissue is part of the lipoma.
The lipoma is surrounded by a connective tissue capsule, so it is not possible to get rid of it by squeezing or other folk methods: Wen will definitely reappear.
Read more: Lipoma: to remove or not?
Lipoma: when should it be removed?
Wen (lipoma) can exist for a long time without causing concern. The need to remove it arises:
- with inflammation and suppuration (as a result of an injury with a comb, attempts to extrude, etc.)
- if the lipoma interferes with the work of surrounding organs
- if the lipoma grows rapidly, reaching a significant size
- in case of pain and discomfort in the area of the wen
- if the wen causes a cosmetic defect
Wen treatment
Lipoma treatment is surgical removal along with the connective tissue capsule, which eliminates the possibility of recurrence.
Depending on the size and location of the tumor, surgical tactics and the method of anesthesia vary. So small tumors located in easily accessible places are removed under local anesthesia through a small incision in the skin. In modern surgery, means are available for applying cosmetic sutures, as a result of which, after the operation, there are no noticeable scars and the manipulation itself lasts several minutes.
If the size of the lipoma is large, it is located in a hard-to-reach place, it is possible to use general anesthesia (narcosis). Besides there are methods for removing lipomas of any size endoscopically. Through a small hole in the skin, surgical instruments are inserted through a small tube-conductor and the lipoma is removed in parts. This is a minimally invasive (small incision on the skin) and low-traumatic (reduced healing time) operation.
Apply hardware removal of lipoma using radio wave method. With this method of treatment, tissues are separated using high frequency electromagnetic oscillations. Advantages of the method: the manipulation is carried out almost bloodlessly and painlessly, the incision on the skin is small, heals quickly and does not leave rough scars, fewer complications.
