Giant fibrolipoma in the leg--a case report

Lipomas are the most common benign tumors of the mesenchyme; they are composed of mature lipocytes. Benign fatty tumours can arise in any location in which fat is present. Most patients affected by such tumours are in their fifth or sixth decade of life. Only rarely are children affected. Lipomas may be single or multiple. Multiple lipomas are more common in women; many are seen in a familial setting. For a lipoma to be referred to as "giant", the lesion should be at least 10 cm in diameter or weigh a minimum of 1000 g. When very close to vital structures, giant lipomas may, on account of their excessive size, cause functional limitations, such as lymphedema, pain or nerve compression syndromes. Owing to the peculiarity of this condition and the difficulties encountered in its diagnosis and treatment, a case of a giant fibrolipoma in the leg is reported. A 48-year-old woman presented with an enlarging, soft, noduled mass on the right ankle and in the lower third of the right leg and heel; it was decided to remove the mass with all the overlying epidermis and to repair the resulting lesion first with fibroblast culture and subsequently with a meshed dermo-epidermal graft. One year after surgery, both the local and the general condition of the patient were good and there were no signs of recurrence.