Lipodystrophy

Lipodystrophy syndromes are a group of genetic or acquired disorders in which the body is unable to produce and maintain healthy fat tissue. The medical condition is characterized by abnormal or degenerative conditions of the body's adipose tissue. A more specific term, lipoatrophy (from Greek lipo 'fat' and atrophy 'abnormal or degenerative condition'), is used when describing the loss of fat from one area (usually the face). This condition is also characterized by a lack of circulating leptin which may lead to osteosclerosis. The absence of fat tissue is associated with insulin resistance, hypertriglyceridemia, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and metabolic syndrome. Body fat redistribution (BFR) syndrome, sometimes called fat derangement, is a form of lipodystrophy characterized by fat loss (or occasionally fat gain), often in the cheeks or face. BFR most often occurs in HIV/AIDS patients undergoing antiretroviral therapy.