Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 28, 2026

Growing a Cystic Fibrosis-Relevant Polymicrobial Biofilm to Probe Community Phenotypes
Published on: April 19, 2024
Dercum's Disease: Bridging Present Understanding and Emerging Directions
Francesca Gorini1, Alessio Coi1, Alice Verdelli2
1Unit of Epidemiology of Rare Diseases and Congenital Anomalies, Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
None:
Dercum's disease (DD) is a rare condition characterized by intense, asymmetrical, chronic burning pain localized in adipose tissue, often accompanied by subcutaneous fat nodules, leading to a significant reduction in quality of life. It typically affects overweight or obese adults between 35 and 50 years of age, with a marked female predominance. Despite numerous hypotheses proposed over time, the pathophysiology of DD remains poorly understood. Diagnosis is particularly challenging, as it relies solely on clinical evaluation. Given the overlapping features with other conditions, including symptoms, clinical course and inheritance pattern, a differential, accurate, and timely diagnosis is essential for the effective management of DD. Current treatment strategies focus primarily on pain relief, reflecting the still uncomplete understanding of DD etiopathogenesis. This review provides an updated overview of the current knowledge on DD, with particular emphasis on recent advances in pharmacological treatment strategies.
Related Concept Videos
Inflammatory Bowel Disease II: Crohn's Disease
Inflammatory bowel disease, commonly known as IBD, refers to a collection of disorders that lead to persistent inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The two types of IBD are ulcerative colitis, which impacts the colon, and Crohn's disease, which can involve any part of the gastrointestinal segment.
Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease is a chronic, systemic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that predominantly affects the gastrointestinal tract. It is marked by...
Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy
Endocarditis I: Introduction
Rheumatic Heart Disease II: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Studies
Rheumatic Heart Disease I: Introduction
Chronic Bowel Disorders: Introduction
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder affecting the gastrointestinal tract. The distinctive feature is recurrent abdominal pain associated with altered bowel movements, manifesting as constipation, diarrhea, or fluctuating between both. The...

