Giant lipomas of the hand, case series

ABSTRACT

Introduction:

Lipomas are sporadic in hand and represent less than 5% of soft tissue tumors in this topography. Giant lipomas, even less common, are defined as having a diameter greater than 5 cm.

Methods:

We performed a retrospective analysis of the cases of patients with giant lipomas of the hand seen in the period 2017-2020, at Hospital Pasteur and Hospital de Clínicas, in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Results:

We obtained four patients during the study period. The age of presentation was between 51 and 62 years (mean 57 years). Three lipomas were deep intramuscular, and one was superficial to the regional muscles. The largest had a longer axle of 70mm. All were symptomatic. Marginal resection was performed in all of them, and the postoperative period was uneventful or recurrent. Histopathology confirmed typical lipoma in three cases and lipoma with bone metaplasia in the other.

Conclusion:

Giant lipomas of the hand present as painless, slow-growing tumors that may be symptomatic when compressing adjacent structures. Magnetic resonance imaging is the imaging study of choice for these cases. The applicable treatment is marginal surgical resection, and recurrence is uncommon.

Keywords:
Lipoma; Hand; Sarcoma; Soft tissue neoplasms; Case reports