Fat on the neck
A benign fatty tumor (lipoma), commonly referred to as a wen, can form in almost any part of the human body, but its favorite places are areas with relatively thin subcutaneous fatty tissue, which, of course, includes the neck. Fat is a connective tissue capsule containing fat cells.
Lipoma looks like a round tumor that rises above the surface of the skin and sometimes reaches the size of an orange or a tennis ball. The formation is painless as long as it does not begin to squeeze the nerve endings, or its surface is not subject to rubbing with clothing and other irritation. The risk of malignancy of the wen is minimal, but this danger cannot be completely excluded.
Content:
- Classification of wen on the neck
- Reasons for the appearance of wen
- Symptoms of a wen on the neck
- Diagnostics
- Treatment of a wen on the neck
- Prevention
Classification of wen on the neck
Lipid formations that occur on the neck are divided into several categories:
- Soft wen - is a connective tissue capsule filled exclusively with fat;
- Diffuse, or spilled variety - wen without a shell;
- Fibrous wen is a dense formation, the connective tissue capsule of which has grown and hardened;
- Petrified wen - formation saturated with calcium salts;
- Angiolipoma - a wen, which has blood vessels in its structure;
- Perineural wen is a formation that affects nerve fibers;
- Myolipoma is a fatty tissue that contains muscle tissue;
- Adenolipoma - a wen that has captured the sweat glands;
- Derkum's disease, or lipomatosis, is a disease that forms multiple fatty formations, including on the neck and on the head;
- Madelung's syndrome, or annular lipoma of the neck, is a condition that forms a collar of fatty tissue around the neck that makes speech and breathing difficult;
- Bisha's hump, or widow's hump, is a massive wen in the projection of the seventh cervical vertebra, which impedes the flow of blood through the vertebral artery.
Fats can be located in any part of the neck - under the lower jaw, behind, on the side, on the front surface.
Reasons for the appearance of wen
One of the main reasons for the appearance of wen on the neck is pathological heredity, leading to a deficiency of an enzyme responsible for extracting energy and water from lipids. It is this genetically determined mutation of the 12th chromosome that underlies the formation of lipomas from unsplit fat.
Other reasons for the formation of wen on the neck:
- Uniform muscular load of the cervical muscles;
- Inactivity, leading to impaired blood microcirculation in the blood vessels;
- Mechanical trauma to the skin of the neck due to rubbing with clothing;
- Violation of the diet, the predominance of fats in the menu;
- Hepatic and renal failure, diseases of the digestive tract;
- Cervical osteochondrosis;
- Age-related hormonal imbalance;
- Alcoholism.
Symptoms of a wen on the neck
A wen can be detected with the naked eye. On visual examination, a tumor is visible, towering above the skin, the color of which does not differ from the surrounding areas. On palpation, the formation of a small size easily moves without causing discomfort. The growth of the wen does not stop over time, it is constantly increasing.
Negative symptoms as a reason for urgent consultation with a surgeon:
- Hyperemia of the skin is a sign of the onset of the inflammatory process;
- Decreased mobility of the wen - the transition of the wen to deep structures or soldering it with the epidermis;
- Soreness on palpation - the growing wen touches the nerve fibers;
- Blanching of the skin - squeezing of blood vessels by a wen;
- A rapid increase in the wen is a dangerous sign of malignancy of education or a symptom of a serious metabolic disorder.
Diagnostics
An accurate diagnosis can be made by visual examination and palpation of the wen.
It is characterized by such signs as:
- No soreness;
- Softness and mobility;
- Clear contours.
The degree of dissemination of education in the tissues of the neck and the condition of the capsule of the wen will help to assess the ultrasound or computed tomography. To determine the composition of the wen, a biopsy is performed, sending the material for cyto- and histology. This tactic will help differentiate cervical lipoma from tumors with similar external signs.
Treatment of a wen on the neck
The dense capsule of the formation, not communicating with the surrounding tissues, prevents the penetration of drugs into it. Without opening the wen, it is impossible to transport active drugs inside it. The best method of treating a wen on the neck is surgery.
Surgery
Treatment of a wen on the neck is carried out by a doctor in a surgical hospital. Any independent attempts to extract the formation by squeezing it out, piercing it or opening the capsule can lead to tissue infection, the development of an abscess, phlegmon, or sepsis. Intensive blood supply to this part of the body, saturation of blood vessels and nerve tissues, proximity to the brain make self-treatment of a fatty wen on the neck a deadly event.
Before surgery, the patient is sent to a laboratory for blood clotting tests, an allergy test for antibiotics and anesthetics.
Wen removal methods:
- Excision with a scalpel - for the treatment of a wen by this classical method, the surface of the skin over the formation is disinfected, an anesthetic is injected, an incision is made to remove the capsule through it. During surgery on an inflamed wen, drainage is installed in the wound to remove pus, and inflammation is treated. A wound without pus is sutured immediately, the skin around it is treated with antiseptics. Possible complications are infection, rough scarring, suture granulation, allergic reactions to suture material.
- Liposuction is a gentle method of removing the contents of the wen through a thin probe inserted directly into the capsule. The disadvantage of this method is that relapses are possible, since the capsule is not removed.
- Endoscopy is an effective and safe method of removing a wen, the procedure is performed through a tiny incision next to the mass under the control of a miniature camera at the end of the endoscope.
- Laser surgery is a modern method of excising a wen using a narrowly focused carbon laser beam. The risk of wound infection and the risk of bleeding are minimal, since vascular coagulation is carried out directly during the operation.
- Radio wave surgery - with the help of a special high-tech instrument - a radio knife - the wen is removed along with the capsule, there are almost no scars, relapses are excluded.
- Electrocoagulation and cryodestruction - cauterization of a small wen under the influence of electric current or vapor of liquid nitrogen. A pigmented spot may appear at the site of intervention.
After the operation to remove the wen on the neck, it is recommended to observe a gentle regime for a month - do not lift weights, do not overexert yourself, do not be exposed to high temperatures. These precautions will help prevent postoperative bleeding.
Drug treatment
In addition to surgery, the patient is prescribed medications to correct the state of health:
- Fat metabolism stimulants (Vitrum Cardio Omega-3, Atoris) - treatment of impaired metabolism, stimulating increased fat deposition;
- Hepatoprotectors (Phosphogliv, Essentiale Forte) - protection and restoration of liver cells;
- Relief of the inflammatory process with corticosteroids (Hydrocortisone, Dexamethasone);
- Taking calcium supplements (Calcimin) - treatment of osteochondrosis;
- Normalization of hormonal balance - synthetic analogs of estrogen or testosterone;
- Reception of lipolytics (Aqualix, Aminomix, Phosphatidylcholine) - lipolysis.
Medication therapy can last from 2 to 5-6 months.
Physiotherapy and diet
To relieve a feeling of numbness in the neck, stimulate microcirculation, and stop tumor growth, physiotherapeutic methods such as micro-pulse exposure and high-frequency ultrasound are used. Electrophoresis with corticosteroids increases their effectiveness in the treatment of inflammatory processes around the wen capsule or postoperative wound.
It is impossible to cure fat with a diet - it will not be possible to extract the fat accumulated there through the capsule tissue. Nevertheless, correction of the diet will help to improve metabolism, stop excessive accumulation of fat.
To do this, you should reduce the amount of carbohydrates and fats in the menu. It is advisable to include in it lean meats and fish, vegetables and fruits in any form, cereals with milk and water, dairy products.
Prevention
To reduce the risk of a wen on the neck, you can do the following:
- Eat rationally;
- Lead an active lifestyle;
- Observe the rules of hygiene;
- Strengthen immunity, temper with affordable measures;
- Timely consult a doctor for preventive examinations and timely diagnosis of emerging health problems.
Fats on the neck are always removed in case of inflammation, rapid growth, compression of surrounding tissues, or a serious cosmetic defect.
The author of the article: Volkov Dmitry Sergeevich | c. m. n. surgeon, phlebologist
Education: Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry (1996). In 2003, he received a diploma from the Educational and Scientific Medical Center of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation.
