MON-685 Lipodystrophy, a Forgotten Syndrome

Abstract

Background: Lipodystrophy comprises a group of heterogenous congenital and acquired disorders. These disorders may present as a complete or partial loss of adipose tissue. The magnitude of lipoatrophy correlates with the severity of the associated metabolic disturbances, which include severe insulin resistance, progressive liver disease, severe dyslipidemia, among others. The most prevalent form of lipodystrophy is related to antiviral use in patients with HIV. However, lipodystrophy occurring unrelated to medication side effect is often missed due to the heterogeneity and rarity of this disorder. Clinical Case: 31 year old female with medical history of type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, mixed dyslipidemia and polycystic ovarian syndrome who was referred to our clinics due to difficult to control hyperglycemia. Family history was limited. She was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus at 12 years old after presenting with polyuria, polydipsia and polyphagia requiring oral antidiabetic therapy. Following poor response, she was started on insulin therapy. At 23 years old, the patient had an episode of pancreatitis associated with hypertriglyceridemia and eruptive xanthomas. Insulin pump therapy with regular U-100 insulin, total daily dose of 308 units, was initiated but failed to improve glycemic control. The patient was referred to our Endocrinology clinics due to high insulin resistance and a glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C) at 12% (n < 6.5%). Physical examination revealed a body mass index of 23 kg/m2, abnormal fat distribution predominantly over the neck and face, and acanthosis nigricans. Abdominal ultrasound revealed fatty liver infiltration consistent with intrabdominal fat deposition. Due to the constellation of the aforementioned findings, the diagnosis of partial lipodystrophy syndrome was presumed. She was started on antidiabetic therapy with metformin, pioglitazone and insulin pump therapy with U-500 insulin, and high-dose statin therapy plus fenofibrate for dyslipidemia. At follow up, the patient showed improvement in glycemic control and an improved lipid profile. She was referred to a geneticist for evaluation. Conclusion: Lipodystrophy syndromes are a group of heterogenous disorders, which may often be overlooked due to their rarity and lack of familiarity by physicians. The diagnosis of lipodystrophy is based on history, abnormal body fat distribution, and metabolic profile. The metabolic disturbances seen in these patients are mainly due to the lack of adipose tissue, which results in impaired energy storage. Early recognition of these syndromes is important because intensive treatment of hyperlipidemia and diabetes prevents development of severe complications. In this case we highlight this rare condition and the successful use of new therapeutic technology with insulin pumps and U-500 insulin in the glycemic control of a patient with lipodystrophy.