Lipedema, and Its Differential Diagnosis with Primary Lymphedema

Lipedema is a disorder characterized by pathologic accumulation of adipose tissue. Despite the high prevalence of lipedema, it is often misdiagnosed with other disorders that share similar symptoms - edema, fibrosis, fat deposition, and pain. Primary lymphedema is one of the most commonly misdiagnosed conditions, since both lipedema and primary lymphedema show similar epidemical features and clinical manifestations. Both affect females at a young age, with symptoms primarily shown on lower extremities. However, lipedema and primary lymphedema can be differentiated by the affected regions (whether they spare hands or feet), special signs in accordance to the specific regions each affects, and different clinical courses. Since both disorders are mainly diagnosed based on clinical manifestations, it is important to discriminate the differences between two very similar disorders.