Question
I have a lump about the size of a smallish sprout on my hip.
It is hard and sits at the top of the hip. There is only one on my right leg and there is nothing similar on my left leg.
When I went to my local surgery a nurse examined me and said it was probably just fatty tissue.
It does not hurt but should I be concerned about it?
Answer
There are a number of things I would like to know about this lump, including;
Is it hard like a piece of bone, really solid, or is just firm and not compressible?
When you squeeze the skin around it, does it look a bit dimpled?
On close examination, is there a tiny pore on the top of it?
Does it move around or is it fixed?
Is it just under the skin or is it deep down?
As you can imagine, the only really effective way to answer all these questions is to have the thing in front of you and examine it properly.
The nurse may be quite right that it is a fatty lump - also called a lipoma - but I really think a doctor should look at this before you accept that it is a lipoma.
Go and show it to your GP and get his or her opinion. If your GP doesn't know, then you should be referred to a specialist at the hospital to find out.
Please don't worry about this, I do not think this is anything sinister, but it is always best to be sure.
So take it along and show it to your GP, he or she will, I am sure, be happy to check it out and advise the best course of action.
Yours sincerely
Dr Keith Barnard, GP
dont know if it helps, but it has some helpful questions that may help you better diagnose
