Lipedema: Or something else? Differential Diagnosis

Endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases (E00-E90).

  • Obesity (obesity), alimentary; note that obesity is usually old generalized obesity.
  • Benign symmetric lipomatosis (Launois-Bensaude adenolipomatosis) – disease associated with diffuse subcutaneous fat proliferation; adipose tissue distribution in the area:
    • Neck (cerviconuchal type, so-called Madelung fat neck).
    • Shoulder girdle (pseudoathletic type).
    • Pelvis (gynecoid type)
  • Lipohypertrophy – cosmetic disorder in which there is localized fat accumulation, such as the so-called riding pants; thereby often smooth transition to lipedemaBe aware: In contrast to lipedema, there is no edema (water retention) and thus no pressure and tension pain.
  • Ducum disease (synonym: Adipositas dolorosa) – rare chronic disease, with formation of painful fatty tissue deposits or lipomas in the subcutaneous connective tissue; affects women in middle age (25-40 years). Sex ratio: men are significantly less often affected (about 1: 20).

Cardiovascular system (I00-I99).

  • Lymphedema – visible and palpable accumulation of fluid in the interstitium (intercellular space), may be congenital or acquired (chronic lymphedema often leads to hyperplasia of subcutaneous adipose tissue, which in turn promotes lymphedema!).
  • Phlebedema – edema (water retention), which is caused by chronic venous disease.
  • Postthrombotic syndrome (PTS) – chronic venous congestion affecting the lower extremity as a result of deep vein thrombosis.