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. 2020 Dec 11:19:e20200114.
doi: 10.1590/1677-5449.200114.

Development of a questionnaire and screening model for lipedema

Alexandre Campos Moraes Amato  1   2 , Fernando Campos Moraes Amato  2 , Daniel Augusto Benitti  3 , Lorena Guimarães Lima Amato  2   4
Affiliations

Development of a questionnaire and screening model for lipedema

Alexandre Campos Moraes Amato et al. J Vasc Bras. .

Abstract
in English, Portuguese

Background: Lipedema is greatly underdiagnosed and there is a lack of low-cost tools to facilitate diagnostic. We created a lipedema screening questionnaire based on a questionnaire for assessing symptoms.

Objectives: The study objectives were to identify relevant clinical questions, develop a screening questionnaire, and construct a model for predicting lipedema.

Method: A simplified questionnaire was constructed and administered to a sample of patients with and without lipedema and then the probability of correct diagnosis was analyzed.

Results: All 109 patients who answered the questionnaire were female and all of them understood the questions. A predictive model using individual question scores achieved an excellent probability of correct diagnosis, at 91.2%, and a predictive model based on total score also achieved a good probability of correct diagnosis, at 86.15%.

Conclusions: The lipedema screening questionnaire is a practical instrument that is quick and easy to administer and can be used with our population for identification of possible lipedema patients, raising the level of suspicion when taking a patient's history and conducting a physical examination.

Contexto: O lipedema é muito subdiagnosticado e faltam ferramentas auxiliares diagnósticas de baixo custo. Baseado em um questionário de avaliação sintomática, criamos e validamos um questionário de rastreamento do lipedema.

Objetivos: Os objetivos do trabalho foram a identificação de perguntas clínicas relevantes, a elaboração de questionário de rastreamento e a criação de modelo de predição do lipedema.

Métodos: Um questionário simplificado foi criado e aplicado em um grupo de pacientes com e sem lipedema, sendo avaliada a probabilidade de acerto no diagnóstico.

Resultados: Os 109 pacientes que responderam ao questionário eram do sexo feminino e as questões foram compreendidas. O modelo preditivo com perguntas individuais mostrou excelente probabilidade de acerto, de 91,2%, e o modelo preditivo com somatória de pontos também teve boa probabilidade de acerto, de 86,15%.

Conclusões: O questionário de rastreamento do lipedema é um instrumento prático, de fácil e rápida aplicação, que pode ser utilizado em nossa população para a identificação de possíveis pacientes com lipedema, aumentando o nível de suspeição no momento da anamnese e exame físico.

Keywords: lipedema; lymphedema; obesity; questionnaires.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: No conflicts of interest declared concerning the publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. A) Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC Curve) for analysis of total questionnaire score. B) ROC Curve for predictive model using individual question scores.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Model for prediction of lipedema diagnosis based on the total score.
Figura 1
Figura 1. A) Curva característica de operação de receptor (ROC Curve) para análise da somatória dos pontos do questionário. B) ROC Curve para modelo de predição com perguntas individuais.
Figura 2
Figura 2. Modelo de predição do diagnóstico do lipedema baseado na somatória de pontos das respostas.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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