Rudkin G H, Miller T A
Division of Plastic Surgery, UCLA School of Medicine.
Plast Reconstr Surg. 1994 Nov;94(6):841-7; discussion 848-9.
In a review of 250 cases of lymphedema of the lower extremity, 9 patients were noted to share unique similarities in their history and physical findings. Although these patients had mild swelling in their pretibial areas and were all referred with a diagnosis of lymphedema of the legs, their findings differed significantly from the usual patient with either congenital or acquired lymphedema. Notably, the lower extremity swelling was always bilateral and symmetrical in nature and never involved the feet. Skin changes characteristic of lymphedema were not found, and consistent fat pads were present anterior to the lateral malleoli in each patient. These findings are representative of a clinical entity known as lipedema, which is distinct from lymphedema and for which treatment may be different.
在一项对250例下肢淋巴水肿病例的回顾中，发现9例患者在病史和体格检查结果方面存在独特的相似之处。尽管这些患者胫前区域有轻度肿胀，且均被诊断为腿部淋巴水肿而转诊，但他们的表现与先天性或后天性淋巴水肿的普通患者有显著差异。值得注意的是，下肢肿胀始终是双侧对称的，且从不累及足部。未发现淋巴水肿特有的皮肤变化，每位患者在外踝前方均有一致的脂肪垫。这些发现代表了一种称为脂肪性水肿的临床实体，它与淋巴水肿不同，治疗方法可能也有所不同。
