Is the lump on my back fat or a tumor?

This Premium Q&A, reviewed and published, features a real conversation between an iCliniq user and a physician.

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

I have a knot or lump on my upper back just in the middle and a little right side of the back. It can be felt when I get a massage. Can this be dangerous? The doctor once told me seven years back that it might be fat. What test can ensure that it is not a serious tumor?

Answered by Dr. Mahmoud Ahmed Abdelrahman Abouibrahim

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I have checked the attached photos (attachment removed to protect patient identity). It looks like a lipoma, a benign fat mass with a soft consistency. Lipoma is completely benign with no complications. A biopsy is the most confirmative method. A surgical assessment is required for possible removal. The other possibility is a chronic abscess. Is it painful, or gets inflamed sometimes?

Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

Thank you for the reply.

It is not painful even when I press it, and there is no other complication. Lately, I have gained weight which I m trying to lose. But, if I walk too much or stand for a very long time, it starts to cause pain in the upper back.

Answered by Dr. Mahmoud Ahmed Abdelrahman Abouibrahim

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

It is a most likely lipoma, and a surgical assessment is required. Over the last seven years, have you noticed any change in size?

Patient's Query

Thank you doctor,

I do not think that the size has increased. But my back pains when I walk or stand a lot.

Answered by Dr. Mahmoud Ahmed Abdelrahman Abouibrahim

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

I highly recommend that you perform MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), a useful tool to identify soft tissue masses. And if the finding is inconclusive, I suggest you have a surgical assessment and biopsy to confirm the diagnosis.

Was this conversation helpful?

Answered by Dr. Mahmoud Ahmed Abdelrahman Abouibrahim

Medically reviewed by iCliniq medical review team

April 2, 2018

December 15, 2023

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Mahmoud Ahmed Abdelrahman Abouibrahim

Internal Medicine

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