Clinical features
- characterized by bilateral, symmetric lower extremity enlargement due to subcutaneous deposition of fat
- involvement typically extends from the buttocks to the ankles; the feet are much less involved or spared entirely
- affects women almost exclusively, typically developing insidiously after puberty and progressing gradually
- Summary features include:
Gender | Women almost exclusively |
Age at onset | Often around puberty |
Distribution | Bilateral lower extremities, symmetric involvement |
Epidermal change | Absent |
Foot involvement | Absent, negative Stemmer's sign |
Buttock involvement | Present |
Nature of swelling | Soft, minimally pitting |
Tenderness | Common with pressure |
Easy bruising of affected area | Present |
Improvement with elevation and compression | Minimal |
Family history | Frequent |
History of cellulitis, lymphangitis, and venous disease | Uncommon |
Stemmer's sign is positive in lymphoedema but negative in lipoedema
- a positive Stemmer's sign is a skin fold at the base of the second toe too thick to lift
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