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Abdominal and Lower Extremity Adipose Tissue Elasticity in Patients With Lipedema

NCT07536646 · Status: COMPLETED · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 95

Last updated 2026-04-17

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Lipedema is a chronic disorder characterized by abnormal bilateral fat deposition in the extremities, predominantly affecting women and typically beginning at puberty. The trunk, hands, and feet are usually spared. Despite its relatively high prevalence, lipedema is frequently underrecognized in clinical practice and is often confused with conditions such as obesity, venous insufficiency, and lymphedema. Patients commonly present with pain, tenderness, and easy bruising.

Current imaging methods have demonstrated increased subcutaneous tissue thickness and fluid infiltration in lipedema; however, no imaging modality has yet been established as a definitive diagnostic tool. Shear wave elastography (SWE) is a noninvasive ultrasound-based technique that enables quantitative assessment of tissue stiffness and may provide additional information regarding tissue structure and mechanical properties.

In this study, we aim to compare lower extremity subcutaneous tissue stiffness in patients with lipedema and healthy controls using SWE. As a secondary objective, we aim to evaluate abdominal subcutaneous tissue stiffness in patients with lipedema and compare these findings with both lower extremity measurements in the same patients and abdominal measurements in individuals without lipedema.

Conditions

  • Lipedema

Interventions

DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Shearwave elastography

Tissue elasticity was assessed using shear wave elastography (SWE) by a radiologist with 18 years of experience, using an RS 85 US device (Samsung Medison, Seoul, Korea) with an SL 10-2 linear probe. Patients were examined in the supine position, and a 10-mm layer of high-viscosity gel was applied to minimize compression. Bilateral measurements were obtained from four sites (anterior thigh, pretibial region, lateral leg, and abdomen), with three measurements per site averaged for analysis.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Fatih Sultan Mehmet Training and Research Hospital

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Feyza Akan Begoğlu · Fatih Sultan Mehmet Education and Training Hospital

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
FEMALE
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-01-01
Primary Completion
2026-03-01
Completion
2026-03-01

Countries

  • Turkey (Türkiye)

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07536646 on ClinicalTrials.gov