What does a wen look like?
A lump on the elbow or other part of the body has an unfixed condition. Although it has its own clear boundaries, it feels like if you touch and press on it, it is unable to stay in place, it rolls under the skin, and sinks into the muscles. The lipoma can attach itself to the bone, so it is better not to delay it, otherwise the surgical intervention will become more complicated. A wen looks like a lump, a wart, a white mole: a person may not even suspect that it is something serious. The size may depend on the age of formation. There is no pain, inflammation or temperature.
Causes and symptoms of appearance
The reason for the appearance of a wen on the arm is a violation of lipid metabolism in the body. Such a disorder develops as a result of internal diseases or the influence of external unfavorable factors (hormonal imbalance, bad habits, reaction to tissue damage, immune system malfunctions).
It is quite difficult to diagnose independently without the participation of a specialist; there are many diseases with similar symptoms (atheroma, hygroma). Distinctive signs that may indicate the presence of a lipoma:
- clear rounded shape of formation;
- softness, elasticity, mobility;
- there is no pain on palpation;
- absence of core and inflammation.
On the hands it occurs in areas of the greatest accumulation of adipose tissue - elbows, wrists, fingers.
Why do wen appear?
There are many hypotheses; doctors still have not come to a consensus on why wen appears in women aged 30 to 50. In addition to genetic predispositions, this problem has acquired a sufficient number of myths. Remember that neither body weight, nor lifestyle or other conditions and factors play an important role in the occurrence of lipoma. A false conclusion about why lipomas appear was most likely made, because one of the probabilities of a lipoma occurring is a disruption and blocking of the function of fat breakdown due to the lack of necessary enzymes.
There is information on the Internet that stress or dysbiosis can cause the appearance of lipoma. Sudden weight loss, diabetes mellitus will be added to the list; even thinness is sometimes mentioned as possible preconditions for the appearance of fatty tissue. All this is purely individual, there is no pattern, but you should not be afraid of the appearance of lipomas.
Wen in a child
Even a child may be at risk, because, as already mentioned, wen can be hereditary. If the mother has had a lipoma at least once, then the child’s wen will not be an exception to the rule. However, there is no need to worry, nor should you try to get rid of the problem yourself. With your intervention, you can cause mechanical harm or turn a harmless tumor into a malignant one. Seek immediate advice from your healthcare provider.
Symptoms of a wen under the skin
What does a wen look like? At the initial stage, the disease is asymptomatic, but does not cause discomfort and deterioration in the patient’s quality of life. As a rule, the patient does not attach any importance to the fact that wen has appeared on the body and is in no hurry to consult a doctor about this.
Externally, a lipoma is a tumor-like limited formation of soft consistency, not fused with the surrounding tissues and skin. The skin over the wen is not changed and retains normal color and elasticity.
Important! The presence of any neoplasm on the body, including a wen, is a contraindication to massage. The massage therapist simply bypasses a single lipoma; if it is impossible to bypass the lipoma (with multiple fatty tissues on the body, under the skin), then you should refuse to massage this area or completely avoid massage. This applies not only to classic massage, but also to cupping, honey, and stone massage. In addition, when conducting physical therapy courses, you should also inform your doctor about the presence of a wen under the skin.
The so-called atheromas, which are very similar to lipomas, are also considered to be fatty tissues, which can only be accurately differentiated by a specialist based on indirect signs:
- Atheroma forms in areas of the body where there is a large accumulation of sebaceous glands, and lipoma is usually localized in areas of accumulation of subcutaneous fatty tissue.
- Lipoma has no signs of blockage of the sebaceous gland (excretory duct), which is observed in atheroma.
- To the touch, both neoplasms are almost indistinguishable, however, the lipoma is not fused to the surface of the skin and is a subcutaneous tumor, and atheroma is part of the skin.
Lipomas can occur as single lesions or as multiple lesions in a limited small area of skin. A subcutaneous lipoma may take the form of a limited-shaped node surrounded by a capsule. A less favorable course of lipoma is characterized by diffuse growth of adipose tissue, not limited to the capsule and occupying a large area. The size of lipomas ranges from one to five or more centimeters. Cases have been described where the lipoma was more than 10 centimeters in size.
Large tumors, during uncontrolled growth, begin to form a characteristic clinical picture of the disease. The first clinical manifestation of a lipoma is a feeling of discomfort and heaviness in the area of the tumor. Under its own weight, the subcutaneous wen on the body can sag, causing swelling and stagnation of blood circulation in the affected area.
In general, lipomas do not pose a serious threat to health, as they are diagnosed and treated in a timely manner. The problem of lipoma is rather in the aesthetic area. The presence of a lump under the skin in open areas of the body causes significant discomfort for both the patient and others. But we should also not forget about the possible complications of the disease if treatment is inadequate.
If left untreated, prolonged swelling leads to disruption of tissue nutrition, the formation of ulcers and, as a result, a limited area of skin necrosis. At a late stage, this is an irreversible process that causes a number of infectious complications, including sepsis.
Types of wen
Depending on where the fatty formations are located and what connective tissues they are connected to, there are several types of fatty tissues. Classifications of lipomas help surgeons determine the severity, course and outcome of the operation. Depending on the location, there are lipomas of the mammary glands, on the neck, on the head, and in the groin. If the tumor does not affect important organs and is located in places relatively protected from injury, then its removal will be easy. Less complex ones include:
- simple subcutaneous tumor;
- lipomas with capsules;
- soft lipomas.
More complex ones are:
- types of wen of arborescent (located with the bone of the joint) and perineural (located next to the nerve, affects it) nature;
- myolipomas (located deep in the muscles);
- ossified lipomas (bone tissue begins to grow inside);
- diffuse lipomas (do not have a capsule); angiolipomas (located next to blood vessels);
- fibrous lipomas (tissue grows and thickens);
- lumbosacral tumor (located in the spinal canal).
Features of localization and are they dangerous?
The appearance of a lipoma on a person’s upper extremities leads to psychological discomfort and disruption of normal functioning. Wen on the hands is most often concentrated in the area of the joints; with a significant increase, the ability to flex and extend the limb completely disappears.
The elbow is a favorite place for fat formation. In the early stages, the tumor on the elbow joint is small in size and often goes unnoticed. When ripe, it becomes pronounced. The skin becomes stretched, causing a constant feeling of pressure. An unpleasant feeling is caused by close contact with clothing in everyday conditions.
Wen on the wrist appears in the form of a round subcutaneous “bump”. The larger the size, the more difficult it is to make physical movements with the brush. Motor skills are impaired and normal performance is lost. When a tumor compresses blood vessels, blood flow is disrupted. The patient complains of numbness in the extremities. Inconvenience is caused by the need to abandon usual activities and wear accessories (watches, bracelets, gloves).
Lipoma treatment
After a medical examination, a qualified surgeon will be able to determine what type of tumor, how best to remove it, and prescribe subsequent procedures for caring for the affected area. Additional monitoring of the tumor may be necessary (at least a month) using ultrasound, MRI, and x-rays. Treatment of lipoma does not have any great risks if you consult a doctor in a timely manner.
If handled carelessly, especially if the wen is placed on problem areas that are often subject to friction and compression, the wen can turn into a malignant tumor. It is dangerous when the lipoma begins to grow inward or darkens, changing color to black. If the integrity of the wen membrane is damaged, then all the pus will enter the blood. It’s even worse when the wen is fastened to the bone: this will entail a serious operation, with further sutures.
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Medicinal solution to the problem
After the inflammatory process has stopped, treatment can begin. To eliminate the problem, special medications are used, the action of which is aimed at breaking down fat mass.
Using a needle, the drug Diprospan (or other medicine) is injected into the capsular cavity - the doctor must strictly follow the dosage, since an excess can cause side effects. Contraindications should also be taken into account.
This medication method is used for relatively small-sized lipomas (less than 7 cm). The drug acts slowly - the wen gradually softens, decreases in diameter and only after 2 months, and possibly more, disappears. This technique does not completely eliminate the problem - due to the fact that the capsule remains in the same place (under the skin), relapses are possible.
People who want to get rid of lipoma at home can use Vishnevsky ointment for this. It has a wound-healing and anti-inflammatory effect, and due to the content of tar and castor oil, it improves blood circulation in the affected tissues, thereby facilitating the release of the contents of the capsule to the outside. Use the ointment twice a day - apply it to a gauze pad and fix it to the wen with a bandage.
Of course, before using this method, consult your doctor about its advisability; in your case, you may no longer be able to do without surgical intervention.
How to remove a wen on the arm
The sooner you notice a wen on your hand, the more successful the treatment will be. A surgeon will help you remove the wen. Depending on the diameter of the affected area, there are different surgical methods:
- If the wen on the finger has not reached a centimeter, a special absorbable substance is injected, and no scars or injuries will remain from the formation.
- Modern laser surgery in cosmetology centers is enjoying success - it will also help to avoid visible skin defects.
- If you delayed too much and allowed the lipoma on your arm to grow, it must be removed by a specialist - an operation. Under anesthesia (general or local), the skin will be cut and the capsule with the wen will be removed. Next, wash the resulting cavity with an antibacterial solution and sew up the incision. You will need to see a doctor to regularly change the bandage and monitor the healing process, otherwise a specific fluid will appear that will cause unwanted suppuration.
At the same time, you will not be insured against relapse. After some time, a new lipoma on the arm may appear in the same place, so it will be virtually impossible to completely get rid of the wen when it has been allowed to grow. Under no circumstances try to squeeze out or open a lipoma at home: in addition to the fact that you will not be able to drain all the pus from there, infection may occur. It’s better not to hesitate until a small formation poses a tangible threat.
How to get rid of it?
The choice of treatment methods for fatty tumors is based on the specifics of the tumor, but almost all of them involve removal of the tumor.
In some exceptional cases, the wen is treated with medications, by injecting drugs containing glucocorticosteroids into the tumor - the substances resolve the pathologically formed adipose tissue in the tumor capsule.
But this method is applicable to small wen (up to 2-3 cm). Larger tumors are removed using the following methods:
- radio wave;
- puncture;
- endoscopic and radical therapy;
- or using laser methods .
Treatment with folk remedies
To successfully get rid of a wen, you can also use complex treatment based on traditional medicine methods:
- Some house plants, for example: Kalanchoe and golden mustache, have healing properties. Leaves cut lengthwise are applied to the site of lipoma formation every 10-12 hours until the tumor completely disappears.
- A very effective remedy is a homemade ointment made from garlic with vegetable oil - the mixture must be rubbed into the tumor several times a day.
- Celandine juice has always been one of the best remedies for treating skin pathologies. In case of lipoma, the juice of the plant is used to rub the tumor until it is completely burned out. This method can be alternated with applying a film from a raw chicken egg to the lipoma or compresses from the juice of raw, fairly old onions.
Of course, the methods of getting rid of wen, recommended by the experience of traditional medicine, are really effective, but still, during self-therapy, consultation with a specialist who supervises the pathology clinic is necessary.
Although small, the risk of a lipoma degenerating into an oncological tumor always exists, so it is important to quickly see and recognize the beginning of this process.
Removal
If the chosen treatment method for a lipoma is surgical intervention to remove it, then first of all it is necessary to correctly diagnose the pathological process. Only after determining the type and degree of development of the tumor, the surgeon decides on the choice of method for removing the wen. Typically, radical surgical excision of the tumor is performed in a hospital setting.
The operation is performed under local (rarely general) anesthesia. On the skin, above the neoplasm, the doctor makes a fairly large incision through which the lipoma is “peeled out” along with the fibrous capsule.
Attention: if during the operation the capsule ruptures or a small amount of either the contents of the lipoma or particles of the “sac” remains, then the risk of re-formation of the tumor increases several tens of times. Therefore, it is very important to completely remove the pathology by experienced medical specialists.
After the surgical intervention, the patient remains in hospital conditions for several more days - postoperative therapy and monitoring of the condition of the hand after the operation are carried out, and after this period the person completely returns to his usual lifestyle. A postoperative scar, as a rule, becomes invisible, but there are many cosmetic techniques for its removal.
There are also situations when the wen on the arm bursts on its own - you can squeeze out the contents yourself, making sure to get rid of the capsule.
But still, in such a situation, it is better to consult a doctor, since the consequences of such manipulations often include blood poisoning, infection of the lipoma, or aggravation of the tumor growth process.
And any neoplasm, not only on the hand, but also on any other part of the human body, must first be carefully examined and diagnosed, and only then methods and methods of therapy or removal must be applied.
Treatment of lipoma with folk remedies
If you are scared, the words “surgeon” and “operation” frighten you, you still should not make a rash decision, trusting your health to traditional medicine. Treatment of lipoma with folk remedies can turn against you. Under no circumstances should you treat the disease with garlic, alcohol compresses, homemade iodine nets, use celandine juice, or rub in other plants. These aggressive means can cause the situation to worsen.
If you have progressed too much and brought the wen under the skin to the inflammatory stage, ichthyol ointment may be recommended: it relieves inflammation and can slightly slow down the growth and spread of lipoma. Any food additives will only have a placebo effect, since, as previously mentioned, the problem is the lack of an enzyme in the body, but not the problem of the fat itself.
Reasons for the appearance of wen
There are several factors, the combination of which leads to the appearance of lipid formation on the hands and fingers. However, there are no specific reasons that cause the development of this particular type of wen. Many aspects can immediately influence the formation of lipomas.
Causes of wen:
- Hereditary predisposition;
- Hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus and other endocrine pathologies;
- Impaired functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, liver or kidneys;
- Frequent psycho-emotional disorders, stress;
- Pathological addiction to nicotine, alcohol, drugs;
- Unbalanced diet - predominance of fats and carbohydrates in the menu.
Genetically determined predisposition, diseases of the liver and endocrine glands are a common cause of lipomatosis - multiple formation of wen under the skin of the hands and fingers. In this case, the localization of tumors is not limited only to the hands; wen forms on any part of the patient’s body.