Giant lipoma of the thigh: A case report

Excision of a massive lipoma of the thigh following extensive weight loss and bariatric surgery

A 52-year-old morbidly obese man with a body mass index (BMI) of 78 kg/m² lost a great deal of weight through diet control over a 3-year period before undergoing bariatric surgery in the form of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. He continued to lose weight, reducing BMI to 56 kg/m²; however, a large left medial thigh mass persisted. Differential diagnoses included lipoma, liposarcoma and hernia. An MRI scan revealed a 37 × 23 × 23 cm oedematous fatty swelling through which contained multiple enlarged inguinal lymph nodes and the great saphenous vein. Plastic surgeons excised the mass with direct closure of skin. Pathology confirmed lipoma with localised lymphoedema. This represents a case of giant lipoma, of which several reports have been described. We highlight the importance of preoperative imaging when planning resection of large masses to delineate the regional anatomy and the need for histological and genetic analysis to differentiate liposarcoma from lipoma due to their similar presentations.

Giant gluteal lipoma surgical management

Surgical treatment of lipomas is typically only considered when they are painful or unsightly. We present the case of a massive hip lipoma; with this extreme case, we show that the global prolongation of life expectancy can lead to other indications of removal.

Anterior approach in a huge lipomatous tumor of the thigh

Confronted with a huge lipomatous anterior thigh tumor, the surgical approach had to be assessed. Those described in the literature did not seem appropriate for our case so some modifications were made. We present the case of a 77-year-old woman who presented with a huge anterior thigh compartment tumor with one-year evolution. Magnetic resonance imaging informed the presence of a lipomatous tumor with a possible vascular contact. Based on Thomson's anterior approach, but modifying the skin incision, the medial distal femur was reached until the neurovascular bundle and, proximally, the lesser trochanter. The tumor was totally resected due to a good visualization using this approach.