Table 3. Comparison of RAD characteristics.

Characteristic	MSL	RADs DD	Lipedema
Abnormal SAT location	upper*	Global	Legs±Arms
Diet-resistant SAT	Yes	Yes	Yes
Lipomas	Common in males	Common	Large nodular fat masses
Time of SAT change	Adult	Child to adult	Puberty; by third decade
Painful SAT	Not usually	Yes	Yes
Sex predominance	Male	Female	Female
Lymphatic dysfunction	Secondary	Primary	Primary
Look-alike conditions	Obesity; HIV lipodystrophy	Obesity; FML	Obesity; APL
Associated conditions	Neuropathy	Autoimmune; diabetes	Lymphedema
Population frequency	Rare	Likely common	Likely common
Inheritance pattern	Autosomal dominant or recessive	Autosomal dominant; sex-specific influence	Autosomal dominant; incomplete penetrance
Known gene	tRNALys mutations uncommon	None	None
Known biomarkers	No	No	No
Alcohol association	Yes	No	No

^*Can be global especially in women; APL=acquired partial lipodystrophy; FML=familial multiple lipomatosis; RAD=rare adipose disorder; SAT=subcutaneous adipose tissue