Dercum's disease (Lipomatosis dolorosa): successful therapy with pregabalin and manual lymphatic drainage and a current overview.

Abstract

Dercum's disease which is also termed lipomatosis dolorosa is a rare and relatively unknown disease. In this entity the upper arms, elbows, stomach wall, buttocks, thighs and knees are predominantly affected showing painful subcutaneous adipose tissue deposits. In addition severe hyperalgesia can be triggered by light pressure and touch. Analgesic and/or nonsteroidal antirheumatic drugs have usually only a minor or no effect. Here, we report a patient with Dercum's disease who was successfully treated with pregabalin and manual lymphatic drainage, and present a current overview of the literature.

• Authors: Uwe Lange, Peter Oelzner, Christine Uhlemann
• Journal: Rheumatology international (Rheumatol Int) Vol. 29 Issue 1 Pg. 17-22 (Nov 2008) ISSN: 0172-8172 [Print] Germany
• PMID: 18604537 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Analgesics
• Pregabalin
• gamma-Aminobutyric Acid

Topics

• Adipose Tissue (pathology)
• Adiposis Dolorosa (complications, pathology, therapy)
• Analgesics (therapeutic use)
• Female
• Humans
• Hyperalgesia (drug therapy, etiology, pathology)
• Lymphedema (etiology, pathology, therapy)
• Middle Aged
• Pregabalin
• Suction (methods)
• Treatment Outcome
• gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (analogs & derivatives, therapeutic use)