A Case of Multiple Symmetrical Lipomatosis Causing Upper Airway Obstruction.

Kim, Jeong Kyu; Kim, Kyung Chan

doi:2011.70.1.63

Tuberc Respir Dis > Volume 70(1); 2011 > Article

Case Report

Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases 2011;70(1):63-68.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4046/trd.2011.70.1.63 Published online January 1, 2011.

A Case of Multiple Symmetrical Lipomatosis Causing Upper Airway Obstruction.

Jeong Kyu Kim, Kyung Chan Kim

¹Department of Otolaryngology, Catholic University of Daegu Schoole of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
²Department of Internal Medicine, Catholic University of Daegu Schoole of Medicine, Daegu, Korea. solar903@chol.com

Abstract

Multiple symmetrical lipomatosis (MSL), also called Madelung's disease, is a rare disorder of unknown etiology and characterized by abnormal accumulation of large subcutaneous fatty masses in neck, shoulder, and upper trunk. MSL has known to predominantly affect middle-aged men with a history of alcoholism. Although the clinical course of MSL is considered to be slowly progressive, in advanced stage, fatty masses in the neck may compress the upper aerodigestive tract, resulting in dyspnea and dysphagia. The treatment of MSL is surgical resection, but radical excision is very difficult and recurrence after surgery is frequent. We report the case of 55-year-old man with long lasting MSL, which caused severe airway obstruction. This patient was admitted with progressive dyspnea and massive accumulation of fat around the vocal cord that was detected on a neck CT scan. This abnormal fatty infiltration in supraglottic region caused upper airway obstruction.

Key Words: Lipomatosis, Multiple Symmetrical, Airway Obstruction