Do I need to undergo surgery for lumps?

Q: I am a 28 years old male who is having small fibrous lumps all over my back, stomach, hands and thighs. The doctor has told me that these are neurofibromas and asked to undergo surgery. Do I need to undergo surgery for lumps? Is there any laser treatment?

A:Small lumps under the skin are quite common. They typically feel like soft marbles, and are usually multiple. I don't know how many lumps you have, but you may develop some more. These lumps may contain fibrous tissue (fibroma), or nerve plus fibrous tissue (neurofibroma), or fat tissue (lipoma). The lumps are harmless, and usually cause no symptoms.

There is really no way to treat these lumps except by surgery. However, it is not feasible to remove all the lumps; in any case more are likely to appear. Therefore, the usual treatment is no treatment. If a lump becomes very large or cosmetically disfiguring or painful, you should ask the surgeon to remove it. Do consult your surgeon, though. He / she will tell you if there is any chance of a cancer. There is no laser treatment, to my knowledge. I don't think you will need any treatment at all.