A rare case of nerve compression caused by a connected lipoma of the wrist

Abstract

A variety of benign and malignant neoplasms can develop in the hand, originating from skin, adipose tissue, tendons, muscles, nerves, and bones. However, most cases are benign; therefore, observation is recommended if they are small, painless and do not cause limitation of motion. When symptoms are present or a lesion is larger than 5 cm in the long axis, an excisional biopsy is required to relieve symptoms and exclude malignancy. Lipomas of the hand are quite rare and do not generally cause symptoms. Lipomas of the hand that do present with symptoms are usually giant (larger than 5 cm in diameter) or located in a deeper layer, compressing the nearby nerves and vessels. We report a rare case of a non-giant superficial lipoma of the wrist that resembled two separate masses and caused pain, limitation of motion, and neurological symptoms.