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Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (GARD)


Other names people use for this condition
  • Benign symmetrical lipomatosis
  • Launois-Bensaude syndrome
  • Multiple symmetric lipomatosis
  • Madelung's disease
  • Familial symmetric lipomatosis



Madelung disease
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Madelung disease is a rare condition characterized by the growth of fatty masses, called lipomas, in different parts of the body in a very specific pattern or distribution.[1] The disease frequently affects men with a Mediterranean origin between the ages of 30 and 70 with a history of alcohol abuse. Non-alcoholics and women are also affected. The signs and symptoms as well as the disease progression varies greatly from person to person. Often, a period of rapid growth of the deposits is followed by a period of stabilization, with no spontaneous resolution of the deposits. The lipomas may cause cosmetic deformity, movement limitation, and peripheral neuropathy. In the majority of cases, the disease is benign; however, there is a documented case in which the lipoma became cancerous. The exact cause of Madelung disease is unknown. Treatment might include medications to correct metabolic conditions that might be present and surgery to remove the lipomas.[2]


References
  1. Madelung's Disease. Cushing's Help and Support. January 26, 2008 Available at: http://www.cushings-help.com/madelung.htm. Accessed August 18, 2010.
  2. Ramos S, Pinheiro S, Diogo C, Cabral L, Cruzeiro C. Madelung Disease. Annals of Plastic Surgery. 2009.
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