Skeletal alterations in lipodystrophy

Abstract

Lipodystrophic syndromes are a heterogeneous group of congenital or acquired pathological clinical conditions that share, as a common feature, a generalized or partial lack of adipose tissue. Recent data in the literature suggest a correlation between adipose and skeletal tissues. Indeed, since both adipocytes and osteoblasts derive from a common mesenchymal cell, it has been hypothesized that alteration of one of the above two tissue types might involve cross-alteration in the other. This brief review analyzes data in the literature illustrating the potential presence of skeletal alterations in patients affected by lipodystrophic syndromes.