Assessment of Knowledge and Awareness Levels of Lipoma and Simple Surgical Excision Among Adults in Makkah Region, Saudi Arabia

• Published in: Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) CA), 2024-05, Vol.16 (5), p.e59727-e59727
• Main Authors: Taha, Sr, Medhat, Alamri, Ghada E, Almuyidi, Hanan M, Alnashri, Laila O, Almarhabi, Mona O, Alessi, Reham M, Alzubaidi, Sarah T, Alamri, Abdullah E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adipocytes; Body fat; Employment; Gender; General Surgery; Knowledge; Marital status; Questionnaires; Social networks; Sociodemographics; Statistical analysis
• ISSN: 2168-8184; 2168-8184
• DOI: 10.7759/cureus.59727

Background Lipoma is a soft tissue tumor primarily composed of fat cells. These slow-growing, painless, subcutaneous nodules can occur in any place in the body where fat is present. Our study aims to assess the awareness, knowledge, and attitudes of Makkah region inhabitants regarding lipomas and the surgical excision method. Methodology This study used a cross-sectional methodology to evaluate the general public's knowledge regarding lipomas and the surgical excision method using a self-administered questionnaire in the Makkah region from January to April 2024. Results A total of 367 participants were included, with the majority (56.10%) aged between 18 and 29 years. The survey revealed that 48.50% had heard about lipomas, 42.80% lacked any knowledge about them, and 26.70% acquired their information via social media. Furthermore, 31.60% believed it to affect both genders equally, 46.60% admitted uncertainty, 20.40% correctly identified that lipomas can occur at any age, and 39.80% were uncertain. Overall, 57.20% correctly identified lipomas as benign tumors composed of fat cells. Opinions diverged on whether lipomas cause pain, with 46.90% being uncertain. Moreover, 25.90% of respondents thought that surgery was the sole option for removing a lipoma, while 38.10% recognized the risk of lipoma recurrence after surgical removal. Overall, 85.60% reported never being diagnosed with a lipoma, while 4.10% had been diagnosed, predominantly with single lipomas 6.00%. There were significant differences in the participants' marital status, with widowed people exhibiting the greatest awareness level, followed by single people. Conclusions Our study findings indicate a moderate level of awareness about lipomas among residents of the Makkah region. However, there are significant gaps in understanding various aspects of lipomas, including their characteristics, treatment options, and demographic distribution.