Expert: Claes-Gustaf Nordquist, M.D. - 8/27/2008

Question
Dr I have bumps like tumours on my stomach,chest,lower back,hands,fore arms,thighs etc.I got it checked with a doctor he told me these are fat tumours and to get rid of this it must be operated,as it does not pain,but day by day the size is getting bigger and also some new ones are forming.Pls is there any medicine to get rid of this,& what is the name of this disease.Pls advice

Answer
If it really is a number of fat tumours (can only be surely known after biopsies have been done for a pathologist to study) then you have a number of lipomas. If indeed they are lipomas they are not dangerous. But there exist NO medicine that can treat this. The only way to get rid of them is by surgery, but if they are very many that will be difficult. Another possibility - if they are not fat tumours - would be neurofibromas (again biopsies are necessary to be sure). If they are neurofibromas you probably have neurofibromatosis von Recklinghausen. That is an inborn hereditary (genetic) illness. There is no medicine for that either. Only surgery is possible but again difficult for the same reason as above. This illness can (rather rarely) cause tumours on the 8'th cranial nerves (the acusticus - hearing - nerves) that may need surgical or radiological (GammaKnife) treatment. And neurofibromas may (again rarely) turn malignant. Otherwise it is not very dangerous.
To be sure what it is you have you do need to have biopsies done - if not already done.