Case Report: Giant Colonic Lipoma, a Rare Benign Tumor Mimicking Malignancy

<b>Background and Clinical Significance:</b> Colonic lipomas are benign tumors composed of adipose tissue, frequently asymptomatic and found incidentally on routine surveillance. Most lesions are smaller than 2 cm in diameter, while giant lipomas are characterized as over 4 cm. Giant colonic lipomas, though rare, may present with obstructive symptoms, gastrointestinal bleeding or intussusception and can mimic malignant lesions on imaging and endoscopic examination. Historically, the resection of these lesions has been limited to those that are larger or symptomatic. Recent observations indicate that lipomas may retain growth potential and can become symptomatic over time, though being inconsequential initially. Surgical resection is favored over endoscopic excision for lipomas above 2 cm to mitigate risks including haemorrhages and perforations. <b>Case Presentation</b>: We report a case of a 38-year-old female who exhibited non-specific gastrointestinal symptoms with a high suspicion of malignancy based on imaging and endoscopy but was ultimately diagnosed with a benign giant colonic lipoma. <b>Conclusions:</b> This case presents the challenges in diagnosing giant colonic lipomas, which, in certain cases, can mimic malignant lesions. Histopathological analysis remains the gold standard for confirming the diagnosis, especially in cases with atypical features.

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Publication Details

Journal
Reports — Medical Cases Images and Videos
Published
2025-02-11
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/reports8010021
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Gastrointestinal disorders and treatments
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
2.01
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article

Case Report: Giant Colonic Lipoma, a Rare Benign Tumor Mimicking Malignancy

Ruxandra Opriţă, Valentin Enache, Bogdan Opriță, Alina Mihaela Prodan et al.
1 citations
Reports — Medical Cases Images and Videos
Gastrointestinal disorders and treatments
2.01
article

Case Report: Giant Colonic Lipoma, a Rare Benign Tumor Mimicking Malignancy

Ruxandra Opriţă, Valentin Enache, Bogdan Opriță, Alina Mihaela Prodan, Ioana Adriana Serban
article en
1 citations

Abstract

<b>Background and Clinical Significance:</b> Colonic lipomas are benign tumors composed of adipose tissue, frequently asymptomatic and found incidentally on routine surveillance. Most lesions are smaller than 2 cm in diameter, while giant lipomas are characterized as over 4 cm. Giant colonic lipomas, though rare, may present with obstructive symptoms, gastrointestinal bleeding or intussusception and can mimic malignant lesions on imaging and endoscopic examination. Historically, the resection of these lesions has been limited to those that are larger or symptomatic. Recent observations indicate that lipomas may retain growth potential and can become symptomatic over time, though being inconsequential initially. Surgical resection is favored over endoscopic excision for lipomas above 2 cm to mitigate risks including haemorrhages and perforations. <b>Case Presentation</b>: We report a case of a 38-year-old female who exhibited non-specific gastrointestinal symptoms with a high suspicion of malignancy based on imaging and endoscopy but was ultimately diagnosed with a benign giant colonic lipoma. <b>Conclusions:</b> This case presents the challenges in diagnosing giant colonic lipomas, which, in certain cases, can mimic malignant lesions. Histopathological analysis remains the gold standard for confirming the diagnosis, especially in cases with atypical features.

Reports — Medical Cases Images and VideosVol. 8(1)
Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy (RO), Clinical Emergency Hospital Bucharest (RO)
Good health and well-being
Openalex Percentile: Top 19%
Gastrointestinal disorders and treatments
2.01
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Case Report: Giant Colonic Lipoma, a Rare Benign Tumor Mimicking Malignancy — Ruxandra Opriţă, Valentin Enache, et al. · Reports — Medical Cases Images and Videos (2025) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS