lipedema
Sign in to saveAlso known as lipoedema, lipödem, lipalgia, adiposalgia, adipoalgesia, adiposis dolorosa, lipomatosis dolorosa of the legs, lipohypertrophy dolorosa
Key facts
- Medical condition.name
- Lipedema
- Medical condition.image
- Lipedema, type III.jpg
- Medical condition.caption
- Lipedema, type III, stage 1.
- Medical condition.synonyms
- Lipoedema, lipödem, lipalgia, adiposalgia, adipoalgesia, adiposis dolorosa, lipomatosis dolorosa of the legs, lipohypertrophy dolorosa, painful column leg, painful lipedema syndrome
- Medical condition.field
- Vascular medicine
- Medical condition.symptoms
- Increased fat deposits under the skin in the legs, increased extracellular fluid, inflammation, easy bruising, pain
- Medical condition.causes
- Unknown
- Medical condition.risks
- Family member with the condition
- Medical condition.differential
- Lipohypertrophy, chronic venous insufficiency, lymphedema
- Medical condition.treatment
- Physiotherapy, exercise compression stockings, emollients, liposuction
- Medical condition.frequency
- Up to 11% of women
via Wikipedia infobox
Research
746 papers- Lipedema-Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Treatment Options.Deutsches Arzteblatt international · 2020
- Dietary supplements for lipedema.Journal of preventive medicine and hygiene · 2022
- Lipedema: Insights into Morphology, Pathophysiology, and Challenges.Biomedicines · 2022
- Ketogenic Diet: A Nutritional Therapeutic Tool for Lipedema?Current obesity reports · 2023
- S2k guideline lipedema.Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft = Journal of the German Society of Dermatology : JDDG · 2024
via PubMed
~8 min read
Encyclopedic overview
15 sectionsContents
- Signs and symptoms
- Associated conditions
- Cause
- Diagnosis
- Differential diagnosis
- Lipedema stages
- Similar conditions
- Lipo-lymphedema
- Dercum's disease
- Treatment
- Prognosis
- Epidemiology
- History
- See also
- References
Lipedema is a condition that is almost exclusively found in women and results in enlargement of both legs due to deposits of fat under the skin. Women of any weight may be affected and the fat is resistant to traditional weight-loss methods. There is no cure and typically it gets worse over time, pain may be present, and people bruise more easily. Over time mobility may be reduced, and due to reduced quality of life, people often experience depression. In severe cases the trunk and upper body may be involved.
The cause is unknown but is believed to involve genetic and hormonal factors that regulate the lymphatic system, thus blocking the return of fats to the bloodstream. It often runs in families. Other conditions that may present similarly include lipohypertrophy, chronic venous insufficiency, and lymphedema. It is commonly misdiagnosed.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “lipedema” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.