Lipoedema

Lipoe­de­ma is a patho­lo­gi­cal, sym­me­tri­cal increase in sub­cu­ta­neous fat­ty tis­sue, almost exclu­si­ve­ly in women. It usual­ly affects the legs and hips, less often the arms. The hands and feet are spared.

Appli­ca­ti­on

Cha­rac­te­ristic fea­tures are pain on pres­su­re and a fee­ling of tight­ness, a ten­den­cy to brui­se, and a clear dis­pro­por­ti­on bet­ween the trunk and the legs. Diet and exer­cise bare­ly chan­ge the affec­ted are­as, which tho­se affec­ted find par­ti­cu­lar­ly distressing.

Good to know

Lipoe­de­ma is not obe­si­ty and not a ques­ti­on of disci­pli­ne. Com­pres­si­on and lympha­tic drai­na­ge form the basis of tre­at­ment; in advan­ced stages gent­le lipo­suc­tion is an opti­on. Distin­gu­is­hing it from lymph­oede­ma belongs in spe­cia­list hands.

Matching tre­at­ment at Swiss Der­ma Cli­nic: Lipoe­de­ma