title: [Diagnosis and treatment of Madelung's disease].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the characteristics of Madelung's disease which is rare and unfamiliar to clinicians and to find the method of diagnosis and treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Detailed clinical data of 7 patients with Madelung's disease were reviewed and analyzed. And related literatures were discussed together.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All of 7 patients have excessive subcutaneous fat deposit predominantly around neck. One patients had the complication of central and peripheral neuropathy, One patients had the complication of glucose intolerance, One patients had the complication of chronic hepatopathy and hyperuricaemia. These 3 patients were associated with sleep apnea syndrome simultaneously. Another one patient was accompanied by autonomic nervous system disease only. Total neck lipectomy and abstinence from alcohol were performed on 5 patients. No recurrence was seen during a follow-up of 6 months to 5 years. One patient received partial lipectomy twice and relapsed again. All pathological results were nonencapsulated fat. One patient refused treatment. Six men patients were alcohol abusers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Madelung's disease is characterized by massive accumulation of nonencapsulated subcutaneous fat mainly located symmetrically in the neck. Chronic alcoholism may be a major risk factor. It may be associated with some internal diseases. Total neck lipectomy to improve figuration and relieve pressure and abstinence from alcohol may be the main effective therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China.
authors.forename: Xing-Min
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wu-Yi
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Dao-Feng
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.forename: Bo-Jun
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Chun-Xiao
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Zhi-Qiang
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Yong-Ning
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008069:Lipomatosis, Multiple Symmetrical / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D050151:Subcutaneous Fat / Q000601:surgery