A pathological condition in which there is progressive, symmetrical loss of subcutaneous fat from the upper part of the trunk, face, neck, and arms.
A curious disorder in which there is great loss of subcutaneous fat from face, neck, upper limbs, and trunk, whereas the buttocks and legs may be entirely normal. There is a superficial appearance of wasting, but closer inspection reveals that the muscles are normal in size. About 80 percent of reported cases have been in females. The onset tends to occur in early life—in about half of the cases before the age of ten years, and in about three-quarters before the age of twenty years. There are no real symptoms and the patient appears to be in good health, but in some cases resentment at the peculiar physical appearance results’ in psychological anxieties. A few cases have been associated with either overactivity of the thyroid gland or even diabetes. There is no treatment for the condition once established and it remains more or less stationary.