137 Giant Lipomas of The Hand; A Case Series and Review of a Rare Tumour
Abstract Introduction Whilst lipomas are the most common tumour of the human body, it is rare in the hand. Less than 50-cases are reported in the literature. We present six-cases from a specialist hand unit, UK, presenting over a 10-year period. All patients had a distinct swelling within the affected hand which was growing in size. Method Patients were investigated with MRI and given the benign appearance; no pre-excision biopsies were performed. All excised tissue was sent for histology. Only one patient reported altered neurology of the hand, describing altered sensation within the ulnar nerve distribution of the index finger. Results In all cases, the lipoma originated in the deep palmar space from adipose tissue surrounding the deep palmar arch. They all extended distally, along natural tissue planes, encasing neurovascular and tendinous structures. In two cases the lipoma extended into the dorsum of the hand, following the perforating artery between the index and middle metacarpal heads. The lipomas all spread radialwards, penetrating the thenar muscles. The largest was 13x12x4cm in size. Conclusions Giant lipoma is a rare cause of symptomatic swelling of the hand. Compression of structures is extremely rare, but careful excision is critical as neurovascular bodies are classically enveloped within the growing lipoma.