[Benign symmetrical lipomatosis with predominant localization in the neck area (Madelung's disease)].

Eighty-eight males with benign symmetrical lipomatosis (BSL) were subjected to complex examination, 68 of them were operated on. BSL is a slowly progressing disease marked by the development of nonencapsulated symmetrical fatty masses mainly in the region of the neck. It usually occurs in males at the age of 35-50 years. Chronic alcoholic intoxication was found in 46 (48%) patients, 36 (41%) patients had various functional disorders which caused invalidation in 5 (5.7%) cases. A familial character of the disease was revealed in four (4.5%) cases. A classification of the disease is suggested which takes into account the functional disorders and the degree of development of the lipomatous masses in the neck. The author discusses the stages of the treatment, the surgical anatomy, a method for revealing the salivary glands in the lipomatous tissue by staining them with methylene blue solution, the operative techniques, the complications and their prevention, and the late results of surgical treatment. Satisfactory esthetic and functional results were achieved in 94.2% of patients who were operated on.