[Clinical aspects and therapy of benign symmetrical lipomatosis--Madelung disease]

The clinical picture, diagnosis, therapy, and theories on the etiology of benign symmetric lipomatosis (Madelung disease) are outlined. Personal experience from 62 operations on 28 patients is compared to the literature. Up to now, there is only palliative surgical treatment for this sporadically appearing disease of unknown etiology. Liposuction--a less traumatic treatment--has considerably facilitated the treatment of the circumscribed fatty hyperplasias. The surgical characteristics of different anatomical regions are pointed out.