Adenolipoma

An adenolipoma is a type of lipoma (benign fat tumor) that develops in the eccrine sweat glands. They can occur either in the skin, or in the thyroid.

Signs and symptoms

Adenolipomas are usually asymptomatic, soft nodules that aren't tender, and are slow-growing. In the case of thyroid adenolipomas, breathing restrictions may be present.

Causes

The cause of adenolipomas is unknown. Theories include improper development in the embryo and invasion from connective tissue.

Diagnosis

Adenolipomas are diagnosed by surgical resection and examining the tumor with a microscope. The presence of eccrine sweat glands are used to distinguish the tumor from a common lipoma. Size and the development of the capsule (tissue surrounding the tumor) can also aid in diagnosis.

Treatment

Adenolipomas are benign tumors, meaning they have no potential to become malignant (cancerous). Surgery is curative, however, adenolipomas can reoccur.

History

Adenolipomas are a relatively recent diagnosis, being first described by Hitchcock et al. in 1993 in a case series. Ait-Ourhrouil and Grosshans later made another case series, disagreeing with the given name and proposing the term peri-sudoral lipoma.

References

1. Lipoma
2. Thyroid neoplasm
3. Sweat gland
4. International Classification of Diseases for Oncology