A Novel Case of Cervical Lipoma Arising From Surgical Incision

Ear Nose Throat J. 2024 Apr 23:1455613241249085. doi: 10.1177/01455613241249085. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

Lipoma is a benign mesenchymal tumor primarily found in subcutaneous fat. Post-traumatic lipoma (PTL) sporadically associates with blunt of penetrating trauma, but the exact mechanism remains not fully understood. This article unveils a rare case of a 32-year-old male presenting with a cervical lipoma at a previous surgical incision, an unprecedented occurrence. The patient incidentally detected the mass and underwent complete excision, with pathology confirming the diagnosis. The etiology of PTL remains speculative, with proposed mechanisms postulating inflammatory chemokines inducing preadipocyte differentiation and acute trauma causing septal rupture, allowing lipoma formation. Notably, the prior use of blade in our patient's surgical procedure aligns with this hypothesis. The varied nature of trauma encompasses acute, blunt, and penetrating injuries. This case represents the second instance attributed to penetrating trauma and the first occurrence at a surgical incision site.

Keywords: blunt trauma; cervical lipoma; lipoma; liposarcoma; post-traumatic lipoma.