- Treatment
- Surgery
- Medicines
- Injections
- Lifestyle changes
- Complications
- Types of lipomatosis
- Symptoms
- Causes
Lipomatosis is a disease of unknown cause that causes the accumulation of several nodules of fat throughout the body. This disease is also called multiple symmetric lipomatosis, Madelung's disease or Launois-Bensaude adenolipomatosis.
These lumps are benign tumors made of fat cells that accumulate mainly in the abdomen and back. They very rarely develop into malignant cancer nodules and are more common in adult men, aged between 30 and 60 years. Here's how to identify a lipoma.
Treatment
The treatment of lipomatosis is mainly done through surgery to remove the fat nodules, in addition to medications and injections, as shown below:
Surgery
It is mainly indicated when there are large aesthetic deformations or when lipomas make breathing and feeding difficult, as it is very rare to transform lipomas into malignant tumors.
Thus, lipomas are removed through conventional surgery or through liposuction, depending on the tumor site. In general, the rate of recurrence of tumors is low, and usually only happens after 2 years of surgery.
Medicines
In the simplest cases, drugs that stimulate the burning of fat from lipomas, such as steroid hormones, Salbutamol and Enoxaparin, can also be used, but tumors reappear when the medication is stopped. See more about Enoxaparin.
Injections
Injections are used mainly in small lipomas, and contain hormones and substances that help to break down fat cells, reducing the size of tumors.
They are usually given every 3 to 8 weeks for several months, and tend to have side effects mainly pain and bruising at the application site.
Lifestyle changes
It is also important to remember that you should stop drinking alcohol and smoking altogether to prevent the disease from progressing, and control your weight to decrease the risk of obesity-related complications, such as heart disease and diabetes.
Complications
The main complication of lipomatosis is the aesthetic deformation in the body caused by lipomas. In addition, fat nodules can cause problems such as:
- Compression of the airways and throat, causing difficulty in swallowing and breathing; Alteration or weakening of the voice; Decreased neck movements; Swelling of the face and neck; Chest pain; Decreased sensitivity; Difficulty moving the limbs;
In addition, in some cases there may also be cancer in the respiratory organs, especially when there is a history of excessive use of alcohol or cigarettes.
Types of lipomatosis
Lipomatosis is classified according to the location of the body affected by lipomas, such as:
- Abdominal: when it reaches the abdomen region; Epidural: when it affects the spine; Mediastinal: when it affects the heart region and part of the airways; Pancreatic: when it affects the pancreas; Renal: when it affects the kidneys; Diffuse: when it affects the whole body and causes an appearance similar to common obesity.
The diffuse form of the disease is more common in women, and usually does not reach deeper organs and tissues in the body.
Symptoms
The main symptoms of lipomatosis are body deformities due to the accumulation of fat tumors, and the presence of tingling and cramps in the legs and arms, the appearance of ulcers in the feet and the inability to move or walk is also common.
Heart palpitations, excessive sweating, sexual impotence, and difficulty swallowing or breathing may also occur.
Causes
Despite not having a clear cause, this disease is mainly linked to excessive and prolonged alcohol consumption, and may also be related to diseases such as high cholesterol, diabetes, macrocytic anemia, excess uric acid in the blood, renal tubular acidosis and polyneuropathy.
In addition, it can also be linked to genetic inheritance, with cases in which the disease recurs when there is a family history, being called multiple family lipomatosis.
