Published online Jan 7, 2022. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v10.i1.361
Peer-review started: August 19, 2021
First decision: November 1, 2021
Revised: November 14, 2021
Accepted: December 3, 2021
Article in press: December 3, 2021
Published online: January 7, 2022
Madelung’s disease (MD) is a chronic alcoholism-associated metabolic syndrome characterized by symmetrical subcutaneous deposition of adipose tissue in the head, neck, shoulders, back, trunk, and nerve roots of the upper and lower limbs. It is relatively rare in Asian individuals and is prone to misdiagnosis. Herein, we report a case of a patient with MD who had undergone surgical management at our hospital, and we discuss the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of MD.
We report a case of MD in a 65-year-old man of Han descent. The patient had multiple, painless progressive masses for more than five years in the neck and more than 30 years in the upper back. Because of neck mobility limitations and progressive cosmetic deformities caused by the masses, he was admitted to our hospital. He drank approximately 500 mL of liquor per day and smoked heavily for more than 30 years. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the neck and chest documented abundant unencapsulated, subcutaneous fatty deposits. We prepared a staged operation plan. The patient was diagnosed with MD; he was advised to abstain from alcohol and was followed up regularly. After a 3-month follow-up, no recurrence of fat accumulation was found in the surgical areas.
This report presents a case of surgical treatment for MD to improve clinicians' understanding of the disease.
Core Tip: Madelung’s disease (MD) is a rare chronic alcoholism-associated metabolic syndrome characterized by symmetrical deposition of adipose tissue subcutaneously in the head, neck, shoulders, back, trunk, and nerve roots of the upper and lower limbs. No consensus exists concerning the diagnosis, pathogenesis, and treatment of MD. Recently, a patient with MD accompanied by hypertension had undergone surgical resection and recovered well at our hospital. Herein, we present this case to improve clinicians’ diagnosis and treatment of MD while emphasizing the manifestations of MD presenting as head and neck masses.