[Semicircular lipoatrophy: a new occupational disease]

In February 2007, an outbreak of 200 cases of a rare condition called semicircular lipoatrophy was notified by a company of Barcelona with about 1,000 workers. In September of that year, more that 600 cases had been notified in other workplaces, most of them in Barcelona, but also in other Spanish cities. A case-control study identified the low indoor relative humidity and working tables with thin edges as risk factors. Four months after the onset of the outbreak, the guidelines for the management of similar work-related outbreaks were published. They were addressed to health care workers of occupational health services and insurance organisations of occupational injuries and professional diseases. The implementation of the recommended interventions has been followed by a dramatic reduction of the incidence of new cases as well as by the recovery of a significant proportion of cases.