info@lipocura.co.uk
If you have started researching painful, disproportionate fat in your legs or arms, you have probably noticed something confusing. Some websites say lipedema. Others, including the NHS, say lipoedema. You may even have wondered whether these are two different conditions.
They are not. In this article we explain where the name comes from, why the spelling differs, and what that means when you are looking for information, a diagnosis or treatment in the UK.
Lipedema and lipoedema describe exactly the same chronic fat distribution disorder. The only difference is spelling convention.
Both are pronounced the same way: lip-oh-EE-dee-ma. Whichever spelling you see, the symptoms, stages, diagnosis and treatment options are identical.
The name was first used in the United States. In 1940, Dr Edgar Allen and Dr Edgar Hines at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota described a syndrome of enlarged, fatty legs with swelling, and called it lipedema (Allen & Hines, 1940, via eScholarship). A larger case series followed in 1951. Because the condition was named by American doctors in an American journal, the American spelling became the original form in medical literature.
The word itself is built from two Greek roots:
So the name literally means “fat swelling”. It is worth knowing that this is partly a historical label: researchers now stress that lipedema is not simply oedema (fluid retention), but a disorder of the fatty tissue itself (StatPearls, NCBI).
The extra “o” comes from how British English spells words of Greek origin. Greek oi became the letter combination oe (once written as the joined letter œ). American English simplified this to a single e in the 19th and 20th centuries; British English kept it.
You will recognise the same pattern in many everyday medical words:
None of these pairs refers to different things. They are simply two spelling traditions for the same word.
In the UK, lipoedema is the standard spelling in healthcare and patient support. Internationally, the World Health Organization uses it too.
The WHO milestone matters to patients. In 2019 the WHO recognised the condition as a distinct disease and gave it its own code, EF02.2, in the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases. ICD-11 came into effect on 1 January 2022 (Lipedema Foundation). Even the US-based Lipedema Foundation describes lipoedema as the international spelling of that code.
Note the NHS Wales term lipalgia: some UK clinicians use it to emphasise pain (algia) rather than swelling. It refers to the same condition.
Other languages have their own versions of the same Greek-rooted name. LIPOCURA® operates in several countries, and our own websites show the variation:
German-speaking countries have a particularly long history with the condition. Germany has had dedicated diagnostic codes for each stage of lipedema for some time, and much of the clinical experience in surgical treatment comes from there.
You will see both spellings on our website, and that is deliberate.
What matters far more than the spelling is recognition. For years, many women in the UK have had their symptoms put down to weight gain or lifestyle. A name, in either spelling, gives you language to describe what you are experiencing and to ask for a specialist assessment.
A tip when researching: search for both spellings. UK and NHS sources tend to use lipoedema, while much of the latest research and many international specialists use lipedema. You may also see lipo-lymphoedema (or lipo-lymphedema), which describes lipoedema combined with lymphoedema.
However you spell it, lipoedema is a real, recognised medical condition, and you do not have to manage it alone. If you recognise the symptoms, take our free lipedema self-test or schedule your lipoedema consultation with our specialists on Harley Street.
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No. They are two spellings of the same condition: lipedema is American English and lipoedema is British English.
Both are correct. Lipoedema is the standard British spelling and the one used by the NHS, while lipedema is widely understood and common in medical research.
Both spellings are pronounced lip-oh-EE-dee-ma. The “o” in lipoedema is silent.
No. A diagnosis is based on a specialist clinical assessment of your symptoms and fat distribution, not on terminology.
No. Despite the similar names, they are different conditions, although they can occur together. Read more on our Lipedema diagnosis page.
Dr. Katrin Lossagk has specialised in the surgical treatment of lipedema for many years and supports patients every step of the way, from accurate diagnosis through to personalised treatment and aftercare.<br />
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From Dr. med. Katrin Lossagk
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