[An unusual risk of liposuction: liposuction of a malignant tumor. About 2 patients].
Liposuction is a simple and elegant way to treat fatty excess; it has been even used for the treatment of lipomas and some gynecomasties. The goal of this article is to present 2 patients with an unusual complication of this use: the liposuction of a malignant tumor. The first patient consulted following the liposuction of a "gynecomasty", which was in fact a breast cancer. The second was treated by liposuction for an ankle "lipoma"; it proved to be a liposarcoma. In order to avoid liposuction and dissemination of a malignant tumor, the pre-operative investigations have to search clinical peculiarities evoking the diagnosis: an unilateral "gynecomasty", irregular, hard or painless, in a 50-years-old patient, must incite the surgeon to perform a classical excision, just as a recurrent "lipoma", deeply located, voluminous or quickly extensive, situated on the limbs or in the humeroscapular area. Paraclinic investigations may be indicated; doubtful cases must be right away rejected for liposuction, and treated by a surgical excision with strict safety margins and complete anatomopathologic examination of the lesion. Liposuction has become a very useful technique for the plastic surgeon; however, we must not forget, despite of its many advantages the risk for dissemination of an unknown malignant tumor. Every surgeon must keep it in mind and prefer a surgical removal in atypical cases.
Voulliaume
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Service de chirurgie plastique et des brûlés, centre hospitalier St-Joseph St-Luc, 20, quai Claude-Bernard, 69007, Lyon, France. delphine.voulliaume@mageos.com <delphine.voulliaume@mageos.com>
Vasseur
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Delaporte
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Delay
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D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006177:Gynecomastia / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg; D015187:Lipectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008067:Lipoma / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000637:transplantation*; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013524:Surgical Flaps