[Benign symmetric lipomatosis--symptom of alcoholic liver disease]

Benign symmetric lipomatosis (BSL) leads to characteristic multiple lipomas of the neck and submandibullar region. Seven men with BSL, aged 36--65 years, were investigated with regard to alcohol consumption, clinical findings and liver histology. They admitted a long standing ethanol intake (x = 107 ml/day) prior to the development of BSL. The growth of the lipomas was irregular and occurred over a period of months. There was no correlation with overweight or hyperlipidemia. However, liver biopsy revealed features consistent with alcoholic liver disease in all subjects. It is concluded that BSL represents a symptom of alcoholic liver disease affecting middle aged men.