Lipoma is a benign fatty tumor that can arise in any location of the body where fat is present. It is found most commonly in the upper half of the body, particularly the head and neck, shoulders, and back.
A mass in the antero-inferior part of the neck may be initially though to be thyroid masses and then other cervical masses should be considered. Ultrasongraphic examination of benign lipoma demonstrates solid and echogenic mass and may
differentiate
nonthyroid from thyroid masses. Although the location of tumors, its consistency, and its motion with deglutition, seperation from the thyroid on sonographic examination, all pointed to nonthyroidal origin, did not rule out a possible mass that
isolated
from the lobes of the thyroid. Fine needle aspiration and biopsy can provide clear answer.
We herein report a case of anterior cervical mass in a 48-yr-old male patients presenting a non-tender, slightly hard and nodular mass slowly growing for several years and moved with swallowing, and diagnosed his case as benign lipoma using
thyroid
scan
and ultrasonography. When we encounter patients with anterior neck mass, we should consider benign lipoma mimicking diffuse goiter(J Kor Soc Endocrinol 10:418~423, 1995).
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