What is lipoatropy?
Lipoatrophy is an unusual condition in which the fat layers just below the skin begin to disappear. The problem may arise in an isolated body, such as a face or arm, or cause a large loss of adipose tissue. Many different factors, including corticosteroid shots, insulin injections for diabetes and certain human immunodeficiency (HIV), can be involved in localized lipoatrophy. Extensive problems are usually the result of inherited genetic disorders. The decision on treatment is unique to each patient and depends largely on the basic causes.
The person suffering from lipoatropy will probably have noticeable depression in the skin where fat is lost. The bones, ligament and muscle tissue under the place are more defined when the protective subcutaneous fat disappears. The area inside the detective can be tender to the touch and the skin can be slightly darker or lighter than the surrounding tissue of the skin. Other symptoms may be present, including fever, pain and tiring cases.
Power with drug injections. Corticosteroid shot administered to facilitate inflammation, pain and swelling after injury can cause problems if it is injected in fat rather than muscle tissue. Diabetic patients who use insulin may indentation if they repeatedly injection of their drugs in the same place. Copaxone, common treatment of multiple sclerosis, is also associated with lipoatropy. Finally, oral HIV drugs can disrupt the production of healthy fat cells in the face, buttocks or limbs as a side effect of their intended function.
Other causes of lipoatropy are not well understood, but are sometimes associated with other disorders. Severe viral diseases such as chickenpox, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and hypothyroidism may result in subcutaneous fat loss in young children and teenagers. In addition, the rare genetic mutation can disrupt the production and preservation of fat cells under the skin, which the wayIt is that symptoms appear in childhood.
Doctors can usually easily detect lipoatropy relatively easily evaluating the physical appearance of the skin offset. In the case of localized fat loss, specialists carefully check the medical history of patients and current medicines. Computer tomographic scanning, X -rays and blood tests are performed to seek possible causes and measure the severity of widespread lipoatrophy.
After diagnosis, the physician may decide to modify the patient's HIV or start injection of insulin into different parts of the body. Anabolic steroids can be administered to help re-stimulating fat cells. If problems are widespread, severe or do not improve with conservative treatment, the patient may be eligible for cosmetic surgery. The surgeon can transmit excess fat from the buttocks or other parts of the body to the place of disfiguring dent. It is also possible to consider using donor adipose tissue or synthetic implants.