Giant submental lipoma: Case report and review of the literature

Abstract

Lipomas may be located in all parts of the body and may be confused clinically with other soft tissue masses. They infrequently occur in the head and neck. A large neck mass (greater than 10 cm) with a rapid growth rate should raise concerns about a possible malignancy. Failure to distinguish a liposarcoma from a lipoma may represent a medicolegal pitfall. Surgical excision of a lipoma is often used as the definitive treatment modality, and alternative treatments described for lipomas range from liposuction to steroid injections. In the present study, a 60-year-old man who presented with a rapidly enlarging submental mass is described. A 15 cm × 12 cm mass was successfully removed. The surgery produced excellent cosmetic results and no functional impairment. An integrated review of the literature regarding etiology, epidemiology, diagnostic and treatment modalities of submental lipomas follows.