[Pelvic lipomatosis and retroperitoneal fibrosis: 2 phases of the same disease? Report of 3 cases and review of the literature].

Three cases of pelvic lipomatosis and a review of the literature are presented. One patient with pelvic lipomatosis was found at radiographic exploration to have retroperitoneal fibrosis with obstruction of the inferior vena cava. The classic roentgen triad which includes 1) pelvic radiolucency, 2) elevation of an intact rectosigmoid, and 3) elevation of the urinary bladder (the radiologic features simulate, in the first case, a pelvic malignancy) is present in two patients; the case 3 suggested a theoretical possibility: the pelvic lipomatosis and retroperitoneal fibrosis may be a variant of the same disease.