Patterns of Public Interest in Lipomas and Lipoma-Removal Procedures (Preprint)

Abstract

Lipomas are benign tumors composed of encapsulated adipocytes. Although relatively common, uncertainty remains about the population-level prevalence, the etiology, and -- especially relevant to clinicians -- the degree of public interest in lipomas and associated removal procedures.

I set out to characterize spatiotemporal patterns of public interest in lipomas and lipoma removal procedures.

I analyzed Google Trends data reporting the relative search volume (RSV) of Google queries pertaining to lipomas and their removal procedures at national and international scales. To contextualize these trends, I compared the RSV for the medical condition to that of several other common dermatological conditions in the United States.

In the United States, lipomas have consistently generated lower levels of public interest than other common dermatological conditions, but interest in the condition has been rising since the mid-2010s. Across the world, public interest in lipomas appears to be highest in pockets of Eastern Europe, whereas in the United States, relative interest has been higher in Midwestern and Southern states. In parallel, interest in lipoma removal procedures has risen steadily from 2004 to the present, with particularly high relative search volumes coming from Southwestern states

Dermatologists and plastic surgeons should be aware of the increasing public interest in lipomas and lipoma-removal procedures. Clinical awareness is especially important in states with elevated interest in the condition and its associated removal procedures.