Faculty, Staff and Student Publications
Publication Date
7-1-2022
Journal
Obesity
Abstract
Objective: Lipedema is an inflammatory subcutaneous adipose tissue disease that develops in women and may progress to lipolymphedema, a condition similar to lymphedema, in which lymphatic dysfunction results in irresolvable edema. Because it has been shown that dilated lymphatic vessels, impaired pumping, and dermal backflow are associated with presymptomatic, cancer-acquired lymphedema, this study sought to understand whether these abnormal lymphatic characteristics also characterize early stages of lipedema prior to lipolymphedema development.
Methods: In a pilot study of 20 individuals with Stage I or II lipedema who had not progressed to lipolymphedema, lymphatic vessel anatomy and function in upper and lower extremities were assessed by near-infrared fluorescence lymphatic imaging and compared with that of a control population of similar age and BMI.
Results: These studies showed that, although lower extremity lymphatic vessels were dilated and showed intravascular pooling, the propulsion rates significantly exceeded those of control individuals. Upper extremity lymphatics of individuals with lipedema were unremarkable. In contrast to individuals with lymphedema, individuals with Stage I and II lipedema did not exhibit dermal backflow.
Conclusions: These results suggest that, despite the confusion in the diagnoses between lymphedema and lipedema, their etiologies differ, with lipedema associated with lymphatic vessel dilation but not lymphatic dysfunction.
Keywords
Edema, Female, Humans, Lipedema, Lymphatic Vessels, Lymphedema, Pilot Projects
DOI
10.1002/oby.23458
PMID
35707862
PMCID
PMC9542082
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
6-15-2022
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Post-print
Published Open-Access
yes