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Which body regions are commonly affected by progressive lipodystrophy?
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atrophy
One example of atrophy is the progressive loss of bone that occurs in osteoporosis (normal bone shown on left; osteoporotic bone shown on right).
Progressive lipodystrophy is a disease of unknown origin characterized by the localized loss of adipose tissue in specific areas of the body. It predominantly affects women and frequently has an onset during childhood.1
The progressive wasting of fatty tissue associated with this condition primarily impacts the following regions:
- Face1
- Arms1
- Trunk1
In these affected areas, the specialized cells responsible for storing fat disappear. This condition is distinct from generalized atrophy caused by undernutrition or localized atrophy resulting from physical injury, such as repeated insulin injections.1