The key difference between lipoma and hematoma is that lipoma is a lump of fatty tissue that grows beneath the skin, while hematoma is the collection of blood outside of a blood vessel.
Lipoma and hematoma are two benign conditions that are due to the accumulation of certain materials inside the human body. Lipoma is usually inherited, while hematoma is normally due to a physical injury or trauma. Both conditions can be diagnosed through physical examination and treated through surgical removal.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Lipoma
3. What is Hematoma
4. Similarities – Lipoma and Hematoma
5. Lipoma vs Hematoma in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Lipoma vs Hematoma
What is Lipoma?
Lipoma is a lump of fatty tissue that grows beneath the skin. Lipoma easily moves when touched. Lipoma can be rubbery and not hard. It is a round or oval-shaped lump of tissue made up of fat. It can appear anywhere in the human body. But most commonly, it occurs on the back, trunk, arms, shoulders, and neck. This condition is very common. It affects about 1 of every 1000 people, most often between the ages of 40 to 60. Lipomas can even present at birth. Moreover, lipomas affect people of all genders. However, they are slightly more common in women than in men. The signs and symptoms of this condition include encapsulated lumps, painlessness, round or oval-shaped lumps, lumps that are moveable in nature, and lumps that are smaller than 2 inches in diameter. Lipomas are inherited, and some conditions can cause multiple lipomas, such as Dercum’s disease, Gardner syndrome, hereditary multiple lipomatosis, and Madelung’s disease.
Figure 01: Lipoma
Moreover, a lipoma can be diagnosed through physical examination, skin biopsy, ultrasound, MRI scan, and CT scan. Furthermore, treatment options for lipoma include surgical removal and liposuction.
What is Hematoma?
Hematoma is the collection of blood outside of a blood vessel. It is usually caused by injury or trauma such as pelvic bone fractures, fingernail injuries, bumps, passing blood clots, blood clots in the legs (DVT), blood cancers, and excessive alcohol use. There are different types of hematomas, including subdural, spinal, subungual, ear, and hepatic hematomas. The symptoms of this condition may include inflammation and swelling associated with bleeding, headache, confusion, seizures, back pain, loss of bladder and bowel control, discolouration, nail loss, pain in the nail bed, and abdominal or flank pain.
Figure 02: Hematoma
Moreover, a hematoma can be diagnosed through physical examination, blood tests, and imaging scans (MRI and CT scan). Furthermore, a hematoma is treated through resting, applying ice, compression, and surgery.
What are the Similarities Between Lipoma and Hematoma?
- Lipoma and hematoma are two benign conditions that are due to the accumulation of certain materials inside the human body.
- Both conditions can be observed on the skin.
- They can cause swelling.
- Both conditions can be diagnosed through physical examination.
- They are treated through certain medications and surgical removal.
What is the Difference Between Lipoma and Hematoma?
Lipoma is a lump of fatty tissue that grows beneath the skin, while hematoma is the collection of blood outside of a blood vessel. Thus, this is the key difference between lipoma and hematoma. Furthermore, lipoma mainly occurs in the back, trunk, arms, shoulders, and neck. On the other hand, hematoma mainly occurs in the skull, the surface of the brain, the spine, the finger or toenail beds, the ear, and the liver.
The below infographic presents the differences between lipoma and hematoma in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Lipoma vs Hematoma
Lipoma and hematoma are two different medical conditions that are due to the accumulation of certain materials inside the body. Both conditions can cause swelling. However, a lipoma is a lump of fatty tissue that grows beneath the skin, while a hematoma is the collection of blood outside of a blood vessel. So, this is the key difference between lipoma and hematoma.
Reference:
1. “Lipoma (Fatty Tumor): Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Removal.” WebMD.
2. “Hematoma: Overview, Types, Treatment, and Pictures.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International.
Image Courtesy:
1. “CTS late stage with Lipoma” By Davplast – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Plateletpheresis hematoma 2016” By MajorB – Own work (CC0) via Commons Wikimedia
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