“Will a lipoma show up on a CT scan?”
I am a 38 year old female. I want to know if a lipoma will show up on a CT scan?
7 Answers
Yes - a fat containing mass, often known as a lipoma, is usually visible on a CT scan. However, the diagnosis of benign lipoma can only be definitively made by pathology.
Jacquelyn Glenn, MD FACS
Jacquelyn Glenn, MD FACS
Sometimes. Depends where it is. If it is an area where there is quite a lot of fatty tissue it may not.
Not always
Hi, Dr. Willkomm here. The answer to the question is yes. A lipoma will show up on a CT scan but it may be difficult to see if your not looking for it. A radiologist may not mention it on report if they weren’t informed to look for it. A lipoma is made on fat tissue which is usually surrounded by fat tissue making it difficult to see.
Yes, it will.
Yes. But CT is usually done to assure there is not a different type of tumor.
Sometimes but not always. Lipomas are fatty tissue. Fatty tissue does not always show up well on CT scans. If there is significant concern, an MRI may be a better study.
