Lipomatosis is believed to be a hereditary condition in which multiple lipomas are present on the body.

Adiposis dolorosa (Dercum disease) is a rare condition involving multiple painful lipomas, swelling, and fatigue. Early studies mentioned prevalence in obese postmenopausal women. However, current literature demonstrates that Dercum disease is present in more women than men of all body types; the average age for diagnosis is 35 years.

Benign symmetric lipomatosis (Madelung disease) is another condition involving lipomatosis. It nearly always appears in middle-aged males after many years of alcoholism. But, non-alcoholics and females can also be affected.

This is a very rare phenomenon (50 years of age), and more commonly in women than men (5:1). There is an increased frequency in Okinawa, Japan, but this may be a reporting bias.

The tumor develops very specifically in the subscapular or infrascapular area, deep to the muscle, sometimes even attached to periosteum of ribs. It is usually between the shoulder blade and the lower neck, with rare tumors reported in the chest wall.

Lipomas are rarely life-threatening and the common subcutaneous lipomas are not a serious condition. Lipomas growing in internal organs can be more dangerous; for example lipomas in the gastrointestinal tract can cause bleeding, ulceration and painful obstructions (so-called "malignant by location", despite being a benign growth histologically). Malignant transformation of lipomas into liposarcomas is very rare and most liposarcomas are not produced from pre-existing benign lesions. A few cases of malignant transformation have been described for bone and kidney lipomas, but it is possible these few reported cases were well-differentiated liposarcomas in which the subtle malignant characteristics were missed when the tumour was first examined. Deep lipomas have a greater tendency to recur than superficial lipomas, because complete surgical removal of deep lipomas is not always possible.

The presence of multiple lipomas is known as lipomatosis and is more commonly encountered in men. Some superficial lipomas can extend into deep fascia and may complicate excision. Liposarcoma is found in 1% of lipomas and are more likely in lesions of the lower extremities, shoulders and retroperitoneal areas. Other risk factors for liposarcoma include large size (>5 cm), associated with calcification, rapid growth and/or invasion into nearby structures or through fascia into muscle tissue.

The tumor is rare, affecting adults in the 4th decade most commonly. Patients are usually younger than those who present with a lipoma. There is a slight male predominance. Hibernoma are most commonly identified in the subcutaneous and muscle tissue of the head and neck region (shoulders, neck, scapular), followed by thigh, back, chest, abdomen, and arms. In rare cases hibernoma may arise in bone tissue, however it is an incidental finding.

Internal hernias occur when there is protrusion of an internal organ into a retroperitoneal fossa or a foramen (congenital or acquired) in the abdominal cavity. If a loop of bowel passes through the mesenteric defect, that loop is at risk for incarceration, strangulation, or for becoming the lead point of a small bowel obstruction. Internal hernias can also trap adipose tissue (fat) and nerves. Unlike more common forms of hernias, the trapped tissue protrudes inward, rather than outward.

Mesenteric defects commonly occur in trauma, such as gunshot wounds to the abdomen. In trauma victims, the defect is usually closed, sometimes with resection of the associated bowel, which may have lost its blood supply. Also mesenteric defects are intentionally created in the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedure, being classically known as a Petersen's hernia. The mesenteric defect in such cases, called "Petersen's defect", is located between the transverse colon and the mesentery of the alimentary limb (the segment of the jejunum from the jejunojejunostomy until the connection with the proximal segment of the stomach) at the level of the jejunojejunostomy.

Internal hernias are difficult to identify in women, and misdiagnosis with endometriosis or idiopathic chronic pelvic pain is very common. One cause of misdiagnosis that when the woman lies down flat on an examination table, all of the medical signs of the hernia disappear. The hernia can typically only be detected when symptoms are present, so diagnosis requires positioning the woman's body in a way that provokes symptoms.

Both internal hernias and umbilical hernias are more common in women than men.

An adipose tissue neoplasm is a neoplasm derived from adipose tissue.

An example is lipoma.

Anomalies between the diverticulum and umbilicus may include the presence of fibrous cord, cyst, fistula or sinus, leading to:

- Infection or excoriation of periumbilical skin, resulting in a discharging sinus

- Recurrent infection and healing of sinus

- Abscess formation in the abdominal wall

- Fibrous cord increases the risk of volvulus formation and internal herniation

Complete surgical excision is the treatment of choice, associated with an excellent long term clinical outcome.

Maydl's hernia (Hernia-in-W) is a rare type of hernia and may be lethal if undiagnosed. The hernial sac contains two loops of bowel with another loop of bowel being intra-abdominal. A loop of bowel in the form of 'W lies in the hernial sac and the centre portion of the 'W loop may become strangulated, either alone or in combination with the bowel in the hernial sac. It is more often seen in men, and predominantly on the right side. Maydl's hernia should be suspected in patients with large incarcerated herniae and in patients with evidence of intra-abdominal strangulation or peritonitis. Postural or manual reduction of the hernia is contra-indicated as it may result in non-viable bowel being missed.

It is named after Czech surgeon Karel Maydl.

An acquired umbilical hernia directly results from increased intra-abdominal pressure caused by obesity, heavy lifting, a long history of coughing, or multiple pregnancies.

Simple excision is the treatment of choice, although given the large size, bleeding into the space can be a potential complication. Isolated recurrences may be seen, but there is no malignant potential.

Incisional hernias are usually caused by a weakness of the surgical wounds, which may be caused by hematoma, seroma, or infection, all of which result in decreased wound healing. They may also be caused by increased intra-abdominal pressure due to a chronic cough (as in COPD), constipation, urinary obstruction (as in BPH), pregnancy, or ascites. They can also result from poor surgical technique.

Femoral hernias are more common in multiparous females which results from elevated intra-abdominal pressure that dilates the femoral vein and which in turn stretches femoral ring. Such a constant pressure causes preperitoneal fat to insinuate in the femoral ring consequence of which is development of femoral peritoneal sac.

Navels with the umbilical tip protruding past the umbilical skin ("outies") are often mistaken for umbilical hernias, which are a completely different shape. Treatment for cosmetic purposes is not necessary, unless there are Incarceration refers to the inability to reduce the hernia back into the abdominal cavity. Prolonged incarceration can lead to tissue ischemia (strangulation) and shock when untreated.

Umbilical hernias are rare. With a study involving Africans, 92% of children had protrusions, 49% of adults, and 90% of pregnant women. However, a much smaller amount actually suffered from hernias: only 23% of children, 8% of adults, and 15% of pregnant women.

When the orifice is small (< 1 or 2 cm), 90% close within 3 years (some sources state 85% of all umbilical hernias, regardless of size), and if these hernias are asymptomatic, reducible, and don't enlarge, no surgery is needed (and in other cases it must be considered).

Many people are managed through day surgery centers, and are able to return to work within a week or two, while intense activities are prohibited for a longer period. People who have their hernias repaired with mesh often recover within a month, though pain can last longer. Surgical complications include pain that lasts more than three months, surgical site infections, nerve and blood vessel injuries, injury to nearby organs, and hernia recurrence. Pain that lasts more than three months occurs in about 10% of people following hernia repair.

Tumors in Meckel's diverticulum may cause bleeding, acute abdominal pain, gastrointestinal obstruction, perforation or intussusception.

- Benign tumors:

1. Leiomyoma

2. Lipoma

3. Vascular and neuromuscular hamartoma

- Malignant tumors:

1. Carcinoids: most common, 44%

2. Mesenchymal tumors: Leiomyosarcoma, peripheral nerve sheath and gastrointestinal stromal tumors, 35%

3. Adenocarcinoma, 16%

4. Desmoplastic small round cell tumor

An incisional hernia is a type of hernia caused by an incompletely-healed surgical wound. Since median incisions in the abdomen are frequent for abdominal exploratory surgery, ventral incisional hernias are often also classified as ventral hernias due to their location. Not all ventral hernias are from incisions, as some may be caused by other trauma or congenital problems.

A hernia is the abnormal exit of tissue or an organ, such as the bowel, through the wall of the cavity in which it normally resides. Hernias come in a number of different types. Most commonly they involve the abdomen, specifically the groin. Groin hernias are most common of the inguinal type but may also be femoral. Other hernias include hiatus, incisional, and umbilical hernias. Symptoms are present in about 66% of people with groin hernias. This may include pain or discomfort especially with coughing, exercise, or going to the bathroom. Often it gets worse throughout the day and improves when lying down. A bulging area may occur that becomes larger when bearing down. Groin hernias occur more often on the right than left side. The main concern is strangulation, where the blood supply to part of the bowel is blocked. This usually produces severe pain and tenderness of the area. Hiatus or hiatal hernias often result in heartburn but may also cause chest pain or pain with eating.

Risk factors for the development of a hernia include: smoking, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, obesity, pregnancy, peritoneal dialysis, collagen vascular disease, and previous open appendectomy, among others. Hernias are partly genetic and occur more often in certain families. It is unclear if groin hernias are associated with heavy lifting. Hernias can often be diagnosed based on signs and symptoms. Occasionally medical imaging is used to confirm the diagnosis or rule out other possible causes. The diagnosis of hiatus hernias is often by endoscopy.

Groin hernias that do not cause symptoms in males do not need to be repaired. Repair, however, is generally recommended in women due to the higher rate of femoral hernias which have more complications. If strangulation occurs immediate surgery is required. Repair may be done by open surgery or by laparoscopic surgery. Open surgery has the benefit of possibly being done under local anesthesia rather than general anesthesia. Laparoscopic surgery generally has less pain following the procedure. A hiatus hernia may be treated with lifestyle changes such as raising the head of the bed, weight loss, and adjusting eating habits. The medications, H2 blockers or proton pump inhibitors may help. If the symptoms do not improve with medications the surgery known as laparoscopic fundoplication may be an option.

About 27% of males and 3% of females develop a groin hernia at some time in their life. Inguinal, femoral and abdominal hernias were present in 18.5 million people and resulted in 59,800 deaths in 2015. Groin hernias occur most often before the age of one and after the age of fifty. It is not known how commonly hiatus hernias occur with estimates in North America varying from 10 to 80%. The first known description of a hernia dates back to at least 1550 BC in the Ebers Papyrus from Egypt.

A hernia is caused by the protrusion of a viscus (in the case of groin hernias, an intraabdominal organ) through a weakness in the containing wall. This weakness may be inherent, as in the case of inguinal, femoral and umbilical hernias. On the other hand, the weakness may be caused by surgical incision through the muscles of the abdominal/thoracic wall. Hernias occurring through these are called incisional hernias.

Femoral hernias occur just below the inguinal ligament, when abdominal contents pass through a naturally occurring weakness called the femoral canal. Femoral hernias are a relatively uncommon type, accounting for only 3% of all hernias. While femoral hernias can occur in both males and females, almost all of them develop in women because of the wider bone structure of the female pelvis. Femoral hernias are more common in adults than in children. Those that do occur in children are more likely to be associated with a connective tissue disorder or with conditions that increase intra-abdominal pressure. Seventy percent of pediatric cases of femoral hernias occur in infants under the age of one.

A reducible femoral hernia occurs when a femoral hernia can be pushed back into the abdomen, either spontaneously or with manipulation, but most likely, spontaneously. This is the most common type of femoral hernia and is usually painless.

An irreducible femoral hernia occurs when a femoral hernia becomes stuck in the femoral canal. This can cause pain and a feeling of illness.

An obstructed femoral hernia occurs when a part of the intestine becomes intertwined with the hernia, causing an intestinal obstruction. The obstruction may grow and the hernia can become increasingly painful. Vomiting may also result.

A strangulated femoral hernia occurs when a femoral hernia blocks blood supply to part of the bowel - the loop of bowel loses its blood supply. Strangulation can happen in all hernias, but is more common in femoral and inguinal hernias due to their narrow "necks". Nausea, vomiting, and severe abdominal pain may occur with a strangulated hernia. This is a medical emergency. A strangulated intestine can result in necrosis (tissue death) followed by gangrene (tissue decay). This is a life-threatening condition requiring immediate surgery.

A femoral hernia may be either reducible or irreducible, and each type can also present as either (or both) obstructed or strangulated.

The term incarcerated femoral hernia is sometimes used, but may have different meanings to different authors and physicians. For example: "Sometimes the hernia can get stuck in the canal and is called an irreducible or incarcerated femoral hernia." "The term 'incarcerated' is sometimes used to describe an [obstructed] hernia that is irreducible but not strangulated. Thus, an irreducible, obstructed hernia can also be called an incarcerated one." "Incarcerated hernia: a hernia that cannot be reduced. May lead to bowel obstruction but is not associated with vascular compromise."

A hernia can be described as reducible if the contents within the sac can be pushed back through the defect into the peritoneal cavity, whereas with an incarcerated hernia, the contents are stuck in the hernia sac.

However, the term "incarcerated" seems to always imply that the femoral hernia is at least irreducible.

Uterine sarcoma are rare, out of all malignancies of the uterine body only about 4% will be uterine sarcomas. Generally, the cause of the lesion is not known, however patients with a history of pelvic radiation are at higher risk. Most tumors occur after menopause.

Women who take long-term tamoxifen are at higher risk.

Treatment is mainly surgical; radiotherapy or chemotherapy is usually an indication of relapse. Head and neck desmoid fibromatosis is a serious condition due to local aggression, specific anatomical patterns and the high rate of relapse. For children surgery is particularly difficult, given the potential for growth disorders.

Treatment includes prompt radical excision with a wide margin and/or radiation. Despite their local infiltrative and aggressive behavior, mortality is minimal to nonexistent for peripheral tumours. In intra-abdominal fibromatosis associated with Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), surgery is avoided if possible due to high rates of recurrence within the abdomen carrying significant morbidity and mortality. Conversely, for intra-abdominal fibromatosis without evidence of FAP extensive surgery may still be required for local symptoms, but the risk of recurrence is low.

The overall incidence is 0.5 to 1 cases per 100,000 people per year. It is slightly more common in women than men (male:female ratio = 9:11). The median age at presentation is typically about 50 years with a range of 20–25 years.

Risk factors for developing a cystocele are:

- an occupation involving or history of heavy lifting

- pregnancy and childbirth

- chronic lung disease/smoking

- family history of cystocele

- exercising incorrectly

- ethnicity (risk is greater for Hispanic and whites)

- hypoestrogenism

- pelvic floor trauma

- connective tissue disorders

- spina bifida

- hysterectomy

- cancer treatment of pelvic organs* childbirth; correlates to the number of births

- forceps delivery

- age

- chronically high intra-abdominal pressures

- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

- constipation

- obesity

Connective tissue disorders predispose women to developing cystocele and other pelvic organ prolapse. The tensile strength of the vaginal wall decreases when the structure of the collagen fibers change and become weaker.

Desmoid tumors may be classified as extra-abdominal, abdominal wall, or intra-abdominal (the last is more common in patients with FAP). It is thought that the lesions may develop in relation to estrogen levels or trauma/operations.

A 3' APC mutation is the most significant risk factor for intra-abdominal desmoid development amongst FAP patients. FAP patients presenting with an abdominal wall desmoid pre-operatively are at an increased risk of developing an intra-abdominal desmoid post-operatively.

Desmoid tumours of the breast are rare. Although benign, they can mimic breast cancer

on physical examination, mammography and breast ultrasound and can also be locally invasive. Even

though they occur sporadically, they can also be seen as a part of Gardner's syndrome. A high index of suspicion and a thorough triple examination protocol is necessary to detect rare lesions like a desmoid tumour which can masquerade as breast carcinoma. Desmoid tumour of the breast may present a difficulty in the diagnosis especially where imaging studies are not conclusive and suggest a more ominous diagnosis.

The term fibromatosis refers to a group of soft tissue tumors which have certain characteristics in common, including absence of cytologic and clinical malignant features, a histology consistent with proliferation of well-differentiated fibroblasts, an infiltrative growth pattern, and aggressive clinical behavior with frequent local recurrence. It is classed by the World Health Organisation as an intermediate soft tissue tumor related to the sarcoma family.