When Fat Takes Over: A Progressively Enlarging Giant Hand Lipoma

Even though lipomas are the most common benign soft tissue tumors, their occurrence in the hand is relatively uncommon. Giant lipomas, defined as those larger than 5 cm, are exceedingly rare in this location. In the hand, lipomas may occur in subcutaneous tissue, within intramuscular or intermuscular spaces, and may occasionally present with functional impairment or digital paresthesia due to compression of adjacent neurovascular structures. While most lesions are benign, large or atypical masses require careful evaluation to exclude malignancy. Magnetic resonance imaging is the preferred imaging modality for preoperative assessment, while histopathological examination confirms the diagnosis.

We present the case of a 41-year-old Greek Caucasian woman with a progressively enlarging mass in the left hand over a 3-month period, associated with the recent onset of pain and paresthesia. Imaging findings were consistent with a lipomatous lesion, which was successfully treated with marginal excision. Histopathological analysis confirmed the presence of a benign lipoma.

Giant lipomas of the hand are rare and may mimic malignant tumors; therefore, their evaluation requires careful clinical assessment, appropriate imaging, and histopathological confirmation for accurate diagnosis and optimal management.