LIPODEMIA – How to distinguish lipodemia from other conditions?

Lipodema and other conditions. Learn what lipodema is, what symptoms it causes, and how to distinguish lipodema from other conditions.

• Lipodema is a chronic condition characterized by pathological, excessive accumulation of adipose tissue
• Lipedema affects almost exclusively women
• The swelling does not affect the feet or hands
• Lipodema, also known as thick leg disease or fatty edema, is a chronic condition characterized by pathological, excessive accumulation of adipose tissue, usually in the lower limbs. It can develop over many years and can cause various symptoms, which often leads to misdiagnosis. What symptoms may indicate lipedema and how can fatty edema be distinguished from other conditions?

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What are the characteristics of lipedema?

Lipid edema affects almost exclusively women. Adipose tissue accumulates symmetrically in the limbs – most often affecting the lower limbs (from the hips through the thighs and calves to the ankles), much less frequently the upper limbs (arms and forearms). Characteristically, the swelling does not affect the feet or hands. The limbs affected by the swelling are disproportionate to the rest of the body. There are three stages of lipedema. In the first stage, which often goes unnoticed, the skin gradually loses its elasticity and small lumps may be felt under the skin. In the second stage, the symptoms intensify, the condition of the skin visibly deteriorates, and increasingly visible irregularities appear under the skin due to the accumulation of fatty tissue. The final, third stage involves significant deformities.

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Lipodema and other conditions

Fat edema is a condition often confused with other conditions, including obesity, venous edema, and lymphatic edema. It is worth remembering that with lipedema, the swelling is symmetrical – it affects the right and left limbs simultaneously. It is important to be vigilant if symptoms such as loss of skin elasticity, palpable lumps under the skin, pain and tenderness in the limbs, a burning or tingling sensation in the limbs, or a tendency to bruise appear.