The ıncidence of neuropathic pain and ıts ımpact on quality of life in patients with lipedema

OBJECTIVES: To determine the frequency of neuropathic pain in patients with lipedema and to assess the impact of neuropathic pain on quality of life and its correlation with clinical variables. METHOD: The prospective, descriptive study included 150 patients diagnosed with lipedema. The demographic characteristics, pain intensity, lipedema type, lipedema stage, and quality of life of the patients were evaluated. The during activity pain intensity was evaluated using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and neuropathic pain was evaluated with the Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs (LANSS) pain scale. Quality of life was assessed using the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF). RESULTS: This mean age of the patients was 42.63 ± 10.03 years, and the mean body mass index was 33.07 ± 5.67 kg/m2. Type 2 and stage 2 lipedema were present in 96% and 51.3% of the patients, respectively. The mean VAS score for pain in lipedema patients was 6.38 ± 1.71, and the mean LANSS score was 11.57 ± 7.11. The prevalence of neuropathic pain was 43.3%. Patients with neuropathic pain had statistically significantly higher VAS and LANSS scores (p = 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). The neuropathic pain group, scores for the physical and psychological domains of the WHOQOL-BREF were statistically significantly lower (p = 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Nearly half of the patients with lipedema have neuropathic pain, and neuropathic pain, which adversely affects the quality of life. Treatment should be planned in the presence of neuropathic pain in this patient group, in whom the etiopathogenesis of pain is not yet clearly known.