Types of lipoma and who they affect

• Types of lipomas include the superficial subcutaneous (just under the skin) lipoma, the intramuscular (in muscle) lipoma, the spindle cell lipoma, the angiolipoma, the benign lipoblastoma, and the lipomas of tendon sheaths, nerves, synovium, periosteum, and the lumbosacral area. The most common type is the superficial subcutaneous (below skin) lipoma
• Superficial subcutaneous lipomas occur more frequently in women than men, usually on the trunk, nape of the neck, and forearms. They are found more commonly in people who are overweight, although losing weight will not make lipomas smaller.
• Deep intramuscular lipomas usually affect adults 30 to 60 years of age, with more men being affected than women. It is commonly found in the large muscles of the limbs.
• Spindle cell lipomas are seen typically in men 45 and 64 years of age in the posterior neck and shoulder areas.
• Angiolipoma lipomas are usually found in young adults, typically on the forearm.
• Lumbosacral lipomas occur in the trunk posterior to a spina bifida defect. They usually occur in infants, but can be seen in adults.
• An extremely rare variation of lipoma is diffuse lipomatosis. Symptoms include multiple superficial and deep lipomas that involve one entire extremity or the trunk and usually have their onset during the first 2 years of life.
• Benign lipoblastoma and diffuse lipoblastomatosis usually affect the limbs of infants. The lesions can be solitary or multiple and can be superficial or deep in muscle tissue.