Does the pathology of dercums lipomas differ from ordinary Lipomas. I got a copy of the pathology of a lipomas I had removed. The report doesn’t say much. The description goes like this: Recieved in formalin and consists of blood stained lobulated adupose tissue with a slight membrane covering measuring 6x5x2 cm. On section the adipose tissue is soft, smooth, and uniform. Then just a diagnosis of Lipoma.
Sylvia,
I did email Dr. Herbst. I have to contact the hospital to see if I can get a sample of the tissue to send to her. Hopefully I’m able to, I would really like her to examine it.
Mike, it often depends on how interested the pathologist is. You should see the difference between what the hospital pathologist wrote about my biopsy, and what Dr H wrote! The hospital pathologist saw ordinary lipomas.
Mike I wonder if you can get a sample for Dr. Herbst to examine. Maybe if you go to her web site or email her??? That would be so interesting to me as I am having a large one in my cheek looked at next Tuesday. I have heard that the DD fat cells are larger than the usual fat cells of obese people and that DD fat cells don’t handle temperature right. Hugs, Sylvia
Congrats Mike,
I know your frustrated because you are still looking for answers but you must be a little relieved you don’t have Dercums. Keep searching Mike and don’t give up until you get an answer! Unfortunately it takes time as we all know. Please keep us in touch and let us know what happens. Hugs, stonel
Got this email from Dr. Herbst about my pathology:
I received your questionnaire. My guess is that you have lipomas
secondary to obesity; not uncommon. The membrane around the lipoma was
very telling for benign lipoma versus familial multiple lipomatosis or
Dercum’s disease. I will wait to hear from you after April 22nd. An
encapsulated lipoma does not return, however, in my experience, if
there
was one lipoma, there may be another small one nearby not easily found
that can grow in the absence of the lipoma removed. An unencapsulated
lipoma is at risk for growing further.
So I think this means you do not have DD? Am I reading this correctly? Lucky you Mike and if it means this, then God Bless you and keep you from getting it!
Take care.
Susan,
I hope that’s what it means. Still trying to figure out why I have some of the symptoms that other people with dercums have. Thanks!
Mike
Well, good luck. Have you been tested for other things like Fibromyalgia, RA, Lupis, Hepatitis, Lyme, etc?
Some of these things are similar in symptoms to DD. I hope that you do not have DD but perhaps something that may be more treatable with a better outlook for your future.
Take care and keep us posted.
That sounds like good news, Mike!!
Thanks everyone for you encouragement! I still need to find out why I have some of the symptoms everyone else has. Dr. Herbst also added in a seperate email: The extra fat adds to your genetic background resulting in the lipomas.
Your lipomas really need to be tender for your to have Dercum’s
disease.
With that said, you could be very early on in the disease.