ARTICLES
from peer-reviewed medical journals
ARTICLES
from peer-reviewed medical journals
The articles listed here have been compiled by the few doctors known to have conducted proper clinical research into Dercum’s Disease and its treatment. They were originally published by respected European medical journals and have been reprinted here with their kind permission. We would encourage everyone to read through them, as they provide ample detailed information about Dercum’s Disease, its effects, and potential options for treatment and therapy.
If you believe you may be suffering from Dercum’s Disease, each article is also available in a downloadable PDF format for easier printing. We recommend you print out the articles and take them with you when you go to visit your doctor to discuss your concerns. Unfortunately not many doctors are aware of Dercum’s Disease; these articles will provide them with the information they need to properly evaluate your case.
It is vitally important when encouraging your doctor to look into Dercum’s Disease that you provide them with medical journal articles that have been peer-reviewed. The peer-review process means that everything contained in these articles has been reviewed by a panel of respected medical specialists. It’s a way for your doctor to be as sure as possible that the information contained therein is accurate, safe, and reliable. It’s your doctor’s best safeguard to protect your health. Please don’t make the mistake of printing out information just found on websites, even this website. Anyone can publish anything online, but not just anyone can get an article published in a medical journal. Speak to your doctor in a language they can trust and understand; that language is peer-review.
If you’d like to learn more about medical research and the peer review process, please click here!
MODERN
Portrait of a Medical Enigma
Written by Håkan Brorson, M.D., Ph.D. & Birger Fagher, M.D., Ph.D.
Published by LÄKARTIDENINGEN – The Journal of the Swedish Medical Association
VOLYM/ÅRGÅNG 93 · 10 APRIL 1996
An incredibly comprehensive look at Dercum’s Disease and its history. Highly recommended.
Dercum's Disease: A Frequently Overlooked Disease Picture
Written by J. Steiner, K. Schiltz, F. Heidenreich, K. Weissenborn
(2002) NERVENARZT 73: 183-187
Helpful overview & case report, including discussion of diseases that prevent similarly.
HISTORIC
Historic: Original Article by Dr. Dercum
Written by Dr. Francis Xavier Dercum, MD
Published by The University Medical Magazine – University of Pennsylvania
1888
A helpful historic perspective on the disease from the doctor who discovered the disease. Over a century later, still provides a helpful overview.
Historic: Adiposis Dolorosa, 3 Case Studies
Written by Dr. Francis Xavier Dercum, MD
Published in The University Medical Magazine – University of Pennsylvania
1892
A series of three case reviews that show the complexities of the disease, as described in the words of the discoverer of the disease.
Continuing Research
Continuing Research
PubMed.gov is a wonderful resource for you and your doctor to find additional peer-reviewed medical journal articles, including those about Dercum’s Disease. It’s a global medical journal database provided by The National Institutes of Health. These articles may be difficult to understand for average patients, but please encourage your doctors to search on PubMed for additional, reliable information to help educate them about Dercum’s Disease. In our experience, the best doctors are easy to spot because they’re always eager and even excited to learn new things.
While searching PubMed as a patient, it is very important that you educate yourself about the wide variety of article styles that are published in medical journals. Not all articles are created equal and not every article constitutes a medical study. To learn more, please visit our Research vs Pseudoscience section!