Spindle cell lipoma is an asymptomatic, slow-growing subcutaneous tumor that has a predilection for the posterior back, neck, and shoulders of older men.James, William; Berger, Timothy; Elston, Dirk (2005). ''Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology''. (10th ed.). Saunders. .

Signs and symptoms

Spindle cell lipoma is most frequently located in the upper back, shoulder, or posterior neck subcutaneous layer. Nonetheless, reports of it occurring in the

mediastinum The mediastinum (from ;: mediastina) is the central compartment of the thoracic cavity. Surrounded by loose connective tissue, it is a region that contains vital organs and structures within the thorax, mainly the heart and its vessels, the eso ...

hypopharynx The pharynx (: pharynges) is the part of the throat behind the mouth and nasal cavity, and above the esophagus and trachea (the tubes going down to the stomach and the lungs respectively). It is found in vertebrates and invertebrates, though its ...

larynx The larynx (), commonly called the voice box, is an organ (anatomy), organ in the top of the neck involved in breathing, producing sound and protecting the trachea against food aspiration. The opening of larynx into pharynx known as the laryngeal ...

, anterior neck, suprasellar region,

esophagus The esophagus (American English), oesophagus (British English), or œsophagus (Œ, archaic spelling) (American and British English spelling differences#ae and oe, see spelling difference) all ; : ((o)e)(œ)sophagi or ((o)e)(œ)sophaguses), c ...

nasal vestibule The nasal cavity is a large, air-filled space above and behind the nose in the middle of the face. The nasal septum divides the cavity into two cavities, also known as fossae. Each cavity is the continuation of one of the two nostrils. The nasal c ...

, tongue, floor of mouth, vallecula,

parotid gland The parotid gland is a major salivary gland in many animals. In humans, the two parotid glands are present on either side of the mouth and in front of both ears. They are the largest of the salivary glands. Each parotid is wrapped around the m ...

, and breast have been made. The tumor is said to have an average diameter of 4 to 5 cm and is growing slowly. Usually, the tumor is painless and solitary. There have been documented rare instances of numerous lesions, including family occurrences.

Causes

The exact cause of spindle cell lipoma is unknown.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of spindle cell lipoma is mainly made in conjunction with clinical presentation and after other malignant tumors have been ruled out using cytologic, histologic, and cytogenetic evidence. According to histology, the lesion is made up of tiny, homogeneous

spindle cells Von Economo neurons, also called spindle neurons, are a specific class of mammalian cortical neurons characterized by a large spindle-shaped soma (or body) gradually tapering into a single apical axon (the ramification that ''transmits'' si ...

and mature

adipocytes Adipocytes, also known as lipocytes and fat cells, are the cells that primarily compose adipose tissue, specialized in storing energy as fat. Adipocytes are derived from mesenchymal stem cells which give rise to adipocytes through adipogenesis. ...

combined with

eosinophilic Eosinophilic (Greek suffix '' -phil'', meaning ''eosin-loving'') describes the staining of tissues, cells, or organelles after they have been washed with eosin, a dye commonly used in histological staining. Eosin is an acidic dye for stainin ...

collagen bundles inside a myxoidstroma. According to immunohistochemical staining, the spindle cells are positive for

CD34 CD34 is a transmembrane phosphoglycoprotein protein encoded by the CD34 gene in humans, mice, rats and other species. CD34 derives its name from the cluster of differentiation protocol that identifies cell surface antigens. CD34 was first desc ...

but negative for S-100 protein.

References

External links

Cleveland Clinic

DermNet
{{Soft tissue tumors and sarcomas Dermal and subcutaneous growths

Signs and symptoms

Causes

Diagnosis

See also

References

Further reading

External links