Madelung’s Disease: Lipectomy or Liposuction?

Abstract

Background Madelung's disease is a rare lipid metabolic disorder characterized by diffuse, uncapsulated lipomas in the neck, shoulder, and other areas. It mainly affects middle-aged men and is related to alcohol abuse, and the cause is not clear. Surgical treatments include lipectomy and liposuction. Methods This systematic review analyzed the treatment of Madelung's disease described in 52 articles including complete patient details, published between 2000 and 2015, and retrieved from the Web of Science, PubMed, Medline, and Embase. Results Lipectomy was performed in most cases and achieved more complete removal and better control of iatrogenic lesions of nearby structures than liposuction. Liposuction achieved good cosmetic results and is simpler and less invasive than lipectomy, but clinical experience is limited. Conclusions Both lipectomy and liposuction have advantages and drawbacks. Surgeons should base the choice of optimal treatment on patient characteristics. Novel surgical techniques and etiologically targeted treatments hold promise as future therapies.

Madelung’s disease – progressive, excessive, and symmetrical deposition of adipose tissue in the subcutaneous layer: case report and literature review

“…According to the data for 2012, there are >270 cases of Madelung’s disease in the literature. 20 Chen et al 21 summarized the clinical data of the cases described in the literature in the years 2000–2015 ( Table 1 ).…”

A case report of Multiple Symmetric Lipomatosis (MSL) in an East Asian Female

“…Treatment is usually performed for cosmetic reasons or to alleviate symptoms such as dyspnea or dysphagia caused by mass-associated compression. Surgery can be performed to obtain symptomatic relief [16,30], and it is the only effective treatment. Method includes lipectomy and liposuction [30].…”

“…Surgery can be performed to obtain symptomatic relief [16,30], and it is the only effective treatment. Method includes lipectomy and liposuction [30]. Lipectomy is an effective treatment method because it involves complete removal of the mass and has a low risk of damage to peripheral vessels and nerves.…”

“…Compared to lipectomy, liposuction is easier to perform and is less invasive. However, the risk of recurrence is higher because it is difficult to completely remove lipoma [30]. Chen et al's systematic review found that both lipectomy and liposuction have advantages and disadvantages, but that lipectomy is performed in most cases [30].…”

“…However, the risk of recurrence is higher because it is difficult to completely remove lipoma [30]. Chen et al's systematic review found that both lipectomy and liposuction have advantages and disadvantages, but that lipectomy is performed in most cases [30]. Utmost care should be taken while administering anesthesia when masses are distributed around neck, which may increase the risk of airway obstruction [30].…”