Benign symmetric lipomatosis (Launois-Bensaude syndrome). A rare cause of muscular weakness.

A 76-year-old female patient is presented who suffered from muscular weakness in arms and legs. She was obese and had a symmetric accumulation of fatty tissue with a bumpy structure at both arms which gave the patient a pseudoathletic appearance. Fatty tissue accumulations were present at both shoulders, arms, at both thighs, at the back and the abdomen. She suffered from benign symmetric lipomatosis (BSL), also called Launois-Bensaude syndrome (LBS), which is a rare disorder of unknown origin and poorly understood pathophysiology. It is believed to be a disease of disturbed lipogenesis induced by catecholamines. The syndrome is often associated with features of metabolic syndrome such as diabetes mellitus, hyperuricemia, hyperlipidemia and hypertension and is associated with polyneuropathy which is an integral part of the disease. Therapeutic options are pharmacological treatment with salbutamol and surgical procedures such as lipectomy or liposuction.