Long-standing pain relief of adiposis dolorosa (Dercum's disease) after intravenous infusion of lidocaine.

A 60-year-old woman with adiposis dolorosa for 20 years was treated with repeated intravenous infusions of lidocaine. Partial relief of pain in the legs was obtained after 1.3 gm. A dose of 5.2 gm lidocaine given for 4 days was needed for complete pain relief. The effect lasted for 3 weeks, and then the pain gradually returned. The patient has now been given two additional treatments with complete pain relief for 2 months. The mechanism of the effect remains unknown.