Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Pisana – Obesity Centre, Endocrinology Unit

Lipodystrophies (LS) are rare syndromes characterized by a selective loss of subcutaneous adipose tissue, which may be genetically determined or acquired. Excluding the HIV-related lipodystrophy, LS affect 1:1,000,000/1: 1:3,000,000 subjects in the population. The pathophysiology of LS is still largely unknown, and differs among various types of lipodystrophy.

Although the loss of adipose tissue is a major manifestation in these disorders, patients frequently manifest serious co-morbidities such as severe insulin resistance (with or without diabetes mellitus), dyslipidaemia, hepatomegaly and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, cirrhosis, cardiovascular disease (including cardiomyopathy), kidney disease and polycystic ovaries. Moreover, patients with LS frequently suffer of significant social stigmatisation and reduced quality of life and life expectancy.

General physicians and most medical specialists have limited knowledge about LS.

Our centre, is a national referral centre for the diagnosis and treatment of LS. Center’s aims are: To increase the awareness on the disease, to investigate the pathogenic basis of it and to ameliorate the clinical outcome and the quality of life of patients by implementing therapeutic options. The centre operates in collaboration with the patients’ association AILIP (Italian Association for Lipodistrophy) to warrant that the patients’ needs are fulfilled and their point of views are not missed.

Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Pisana – Obesity Centre, Endocrinology Unit is participating in the following Main Thematic Groups (MTGs):

• MTG3Genetic Disorders of Glucose & Insulin Homeostasis

General representatives