[Semicircular lipoatrophy: a new occupational disease]. / Lipoatrofia semicircular: un nuevo trastorno de salud relacionado con el trabajo.

In February 2007, an outbreak of 200 cases of a rare condition called semicircular lipoatrophy was notified by a company of Barcelona with about 1,000 workers. In September of that year, more that 600 cases had been notified in other workplaces, most of them in Barcelona, but also in other Spanish cities. A case-control study identified the low indoor relative humidity and working tables with thin edges as risk factors. Four months after the onset of the outbreak, the guidelines for the management of similar work-related outbreaks were published. They were addressed to health care workers of occupational health services and insurance organisations of occupational injuries and professional diseases. The implementation of the recommended interventions has been followed by a dramatic reduction of the incidence of new cases as well as by the recovery of a significant proportion of cases.

Lipoatrofia semicircular: un nuevo trastorno de salud relacionado con el trabajo / Semicircular lipoatrophy: a new occupational disease

En febrero de 2007, una gran empresa de Barcelona notificó un brote de una rara lesión llamada lipoatrofia semicircular que afectaba a casi 200 personas de los aproximadamente 1.000 trabajadores de plantilla. En septiembre de ese mismo año se habían notificado más de 600 casos, también en otros centros de trabajo, sobre todo de Barcelona pero también del resto de España. Se realizó un estudio de casos y controles que identificó como factores de riesgo de esta lesión la baja humedad relativa del interior de los edificios y la utilización de mesas de trabajo con bordes delgados y angulares. Cuatro meses después de notificarse los primeros casos, se presentó un protocolo de actuación ante casos de lipoatrofia dirigido a los profesionales sanitarios de los servicios de prevención de las empresas y de las mutuas de accidentes de trabajo y de enfermedades profesionales. La implantación de estas medidas de control se ha traducido en una drástica reducción de la incidencia y en la curación de una proporción significativa de los casos

In February 2007, an outbreak of 200 cases of a rare condition called semicircular lipoatrophy was notified by a company of Barcelona with about 1,000 workers. In September of that year, more that 600 cases had been notified in other workplaces, most of them in Barcelona, but also in other Spanish cities. A case-control study identified the low indoor relative humidity and working tables with thin edges as risk factors. Four months after the onset of the outbreak, the guidelines for the management of similar work-related outbreaks were published. They were addressed to health care workers of occupational health services and insurance organisations of occupational injuries and professional diseases. The implementation of the recommended interventions has been followed by a dramatic reduction of the incidence of new cases as well as by the recovery of a significant proportion of cases