What is Dercum's Disease?

With the list of all the different diseases out there, it is good to know the clinical and common name when in search of symptoms and treatment. Dercum's disease according to Wikipedia is also known as Adiposis dolorosa. Dercum's disease is when multiple, benign fatty tissues develop on the body, mostly in premenopausal women between age 25-60. Dercum's disease has been known to occur in men, although it is rare. Studies have shown Dercum's disease may cause obesity. These fatty growths can occur on the limbs and other spots of the body with the exception of the face and a person's hands. These growths can cause pain or even be painless.

Does Dercum's disease has a gene that may be inherited? Well at this time according to Wikipedia, there has been no such link indentified thus far. I am hopeful more test and studies will be done in the future to see if it is inherited. Dercum's disease can also occur in normal weight. Now let us review some of the symptoms of Dercum's disease.

The fatty growths associated with Dercum's disease can cause pain consecutively up to 3 months. Patients have described the pain associated with Dercum's disease as a burning, achy or stabbing sensation. Usually, the shapes of these fatty growths are irregular and can spontaneously disappear but leave behind a very rough, lying tissue under the skin where it once was. Other symptoms of Dercum's disease can range from pain in the area where the fatty tissue may be, to pain in your feet, similar to walking on glass. Memory lapse, poor concentration and sleep disorders can also occur with Dercum's disease. The fatty tissue may get larger when a person is under stress, sick, or after having a surgical procedure. Stiffness and fatigue can also be associated with Dercum's disease. Headaches can be more frequent and feel at times like a migraine. High fevers for a period, perhaps even over a few weeks, can happen without reason. Tenderness of skin occurring may be considered as another symptom.

Dercum's disease has yet to be thoroughly researched, and patients are often misdiagnosed. There are no specific tests to take to determine if you may have Dercum's disease, however; if blood work is drawn on a consistent basis, the results may exclude other diseases and narrow the results down. There are some medications to alleviate pain and a few surgical procedures may be undergone to remove the fatty tissue, although your insurance company may consider these as cosmetic and not necessary. In any case, if you have noticed any of these symptoms and have a growth that has been considered fatty, it is recommended to do the research and bring this to your doctor's attention to remedy the symptoms as much and as soon as possible.

Wikipedia/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dercum's_disease/Campen R, Mankin H, Louis DN, Hirano M, Maccollin M (January 2001). "Familial occurrence of adiposis dolorosa". J. Am. Acad. Dermatol.44 (1): 132-6. doi:10.1067/mjd.2001.110872. PMID 11148491