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While the term cellulitis is incorrect, it is commonly used and deserves a nosological classification. "Cellulitis is a dermohypodermosis and an oedemato-sclerous panniculopathy- It is indeed a true histangiography in which the fibroblastic reaction predominates over capillaro-veinular changes. Adipocytes of exaggerated size interpenetrate into micro- and later into macronodules marked off by more or less structured conjunctive fibrilla, thereby making treatment difficult.
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Systemic causes of leg edema include idiopathic cyclic edema, heart failure, cirrhosis, nephrosis and other hypoproteinemic states. Lymphedema may be primary, or secondary to neoplasm, lymphangitis, retroperitoneal fibrosis and, rarely (in the U.S.), filariasis. Thrombophlebitis and chronic venous insufficiency are not uncommon causes. Finally, infection, ischemia, lipedema, vascular anomalies, tumors and trauma can be responsible for the swollen leg.
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To the Editor.— I do not believe that Stallworth et al (228:1656, 1974) have proven their case for a definite clinical entity of "lipedema" in the patients described.The plasma lipid values seem high, but are of no significance unless the controls were patients of comparable sex, age, and mean weight; this is not stated. The origin of tissue lipid values would similarly have to be a group of middle-aged, overweight patients with fat legs but no symptoms, to make their figures valid.I have seen and treated many patients with a clinical picture identical with that described in their paper. Many of these patients have clinical evidence of past phlebitis; others do not. Both groups have episodes of painful, lumpy swellings in their legs, that may be accompanied by redness, heat, and tenderness in the affected areas. This picture frequently takes many weeks to resolve and may leave some ...
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A 22 yr old woman with bilateral symmetrical enlargement of her lower extremities since the age of 11 is reported. A diagnosis of lipedema of the legs was made on the basis of history, physical examination, biopsy and phlebography. Lipedema of the legs should be included in the differential diagnosis of symmetrical nonpitting edematous lower extremities. According to Allen and Hines, the characteristic points to be made for a diagnosis of lipedema of the legs included the following: almost exclusively seen in women; always bilateral and symmetrical with minimal involvement of the feet; minimal to absent pitting edems; all parts of the limbs are involved simultaneously; persistent enlargement despite elevation of the extremities. 16% of their patients gave a family history of the disorder; 40% complained of pain in the lower extremities; and approximately half of the patients were obese. The age of onset was variable, from childhood to the sixth or seventh decade. There was no racial preponderance. No patient gave a history compatible with progressive lipodystrophy. Treatment included diet, diuretics, tight stockings, rest and elevation, and massage, but was unsatisfactory in most cases.