Multiple Symmetric Lipomatosis: A Paradigm of Metabolically Innocent Obesity?
Response to Harsch, Schahin, and Wiedmann
- Michael Haap, MD1,
- Claus Thamer, MD1,
- Hans-Ulrich Häring, MD1,
- Rolf Markus Szeimies, MD2 and
- Michael Stumvoll, MD13
- 1Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Pathobiochemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- 2Department of Dermatology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- 3Third Medical Department, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Address correspondence to Michael Stumvoll, MD, Third Medical Department, University of Leipzig, Philipp-Rosenthal-Str. 27, 04301 Leipzig, Germany. E-mail: michael.stumvoll{at}medizin.uni-leipzig.de
We have recently suggested (1) that patients with multiple symmetric lipomatosis (MSL) may represent a paradigm for metabolically innocent fat accumulation. Harsch and colleagues (2,3) raise some justified words of caution with respect to the generalization of this statement. It is probably true that we cannot make general metabolic inferences on the syndrome of MSL as such based on our rather limited sample size. But this was not our intention, and we welcome the opportunity to clarify our line of argument.
The original idea was to present a situation where a substantial increase in body fat mass was not accompanied by decreased insulin sensitivity, which is in much contrast to common belief. …
