Abstract
Lipomas are subcutaneous masses composed of adipocytes. They are benign neoplasias but may cause physical symptoms to a patient based on size or compression of adjacent tissues. They are commonly encountered by veterinary practitioners, especially in older canine patients. In general, lipomas are lenticular or ovoid in shape, soft to firm in consistency, have a smooth exterior, are encapsulated, and are freely movable. Usually, veterinary practitioners make a diagnosis of lipoma based on physical palpation or cytologic analysis of fine needle aspirates. However, many subcutaneous masses may mimic a lipoma in terms of physical appearance. Fine needle aspirates may lead to misidentification of lesions, especially if patient restraint is problematic, the tumor is small or difficult to localize, or cells of the targeted neoplasia do not exfoliate well. This paper examines seven cases whereby lipomas caused pathology themselves or were misidentified due to inaccurate diagnostic protocol. The author recommends small punch biopsy to obtain more definitive diagnosis.