A proposed classification of benign tumours of adipose tissue

Abstract

Benign fatty tumours fall into one of 5 groups; pure lipomas, benign mixed mesenchymal tumours of adipose tissue, hibernomas, lipoblastomas. and lipomatoses. Pure lipomas can be subdivided into solitary and multiple subcutaneous lipomas, and lipomas of other sites. Benign mixed mesenchymal tumours of adipose tissue can be subdivided into subcutaneous angiolipomas, including solitary, multiple, and multiple familial subcutaneous angiolipomas; subcutaneous fibrolipomas; subcutaneous myxolipomas: subcutaneous chondrolipomas; subcutaneous osteolipomas; mixtures of the preceding types: subcutaneous atypical fibrolipomas; subcutaneous spindle cell lipomas; intramuscular angiolipomas (haemangiomas of skeletal muscle); renal angiomyolipomas; and adrenal and presacral myelolipomas. It is suggested that the subcutaneous tissue is a topographic region in its own right, and that subcutaneous tumours should be considered separately from tumours of the deeper soft tissue. Benign fatty tumours fall into one of 5 groups; pure lipomas, benign mixed mesenchymal tumours of adipose tissue, hibernomas, lipoblastomas. and lipomatoses. Pure lipomas can be subdivided into solitary and multiple subcutaneous lipomas, and lipomas of other sites. Benign mixed mesenchymal tumours of adipose tissue can be subdivided into subcutaneous angiolipomas, including solitary, multiple, and multiple familial subcutaneous angiolipomas; subcutaneous fibrolipomas; subcutaneous myxolipomas: subcutaneous chondrolipomas; subcutaneous osteolipomas; mixtures of the preceding types: subcutaneous atypical fibrolipomas; subcutaneous spindle cell lipomas; intramuscular angiolipomas (haemangiomas of skeletal muscle); renal angiomyolipomas; and adrenal and presacral myelolipomas. It is suggested that the subcutaneous tissue is a topographic region in its own right, and that subcutaneous tumours should be considered separately from tumours of the deeper soft tissue.