System Maintenance Notice

Please note that maintenance work is scheduled between 4 AM and 5 AM - CET. During this time, you may experience reduced performance. Thanks for your patience.

Publications

Journal Article Epublish

PubMed: 42795335 DOI: 10.3390/life16091471

Inter-Rater Reliability of the Progressive Pain Check Method for Standardized Pain Assessment in Lipedema.

Life (Basel) 16(9)

Authors: Laura Patton, Lorenzo Ricolfi, Heba Safwat Mhmoued Abdo Elhadidy, Valeria Reverdito, Antonino Russotto, Gianfranco Politano, Maria Michela Gianino

Affiliations

  • Endocrinology and Lymphology Clinic, 38096 Vallelaghi, Italy.
  • Department of Public Health Sciences and Paediatrics, University of Turin, 10126 Torino, Italy.
  • Human Project Studio, 10138 Torino, Italy.
  • Department of Control and Computer Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Torino, Italy.

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Lipedema is a chronic progressive condition affecting approximately 10% of women, characterized by disproportionate subcutaneous adipose tissue accumulation and pain in the lower extremities. Standardized assessment methods for pain evaluation in lipedema remain limited. The Progressive Pain Check (PPC) method represents a potentially valuable tool for standardized pain assessment in lipedema patients.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the inter-rater reliability of the PPC method for clinical assessment of evoked pain in lipedema patients.

METHODS

Two independent assessors performed PPC evaluations. Inter-rater reliability was assessed using the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient [ICC(2,1), two-way random-effects, absolute agreement, single-measurement] with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

RESULTS

This study included 429 women diagnosed with lipedema (mean age 41.2 ± 11.5 years, mean disease duration 27.2 ± 12.6 years). Patient characteristics revealed mean BMI of 29.5 ± 6.9 kg/m 2, predominantly Type III lipedema presentation, and disease onset during adolescence (mean age 14 ± 9.3 years). The PPC method demonstrated excellent inter-rater reliability between two independent assessors across all examined anatomical districts.

CONCLUSIONS

The PPC method shows promise as a simple, repeatable, and standardized clinical tool for evoked pain assessment in lipedema patients. The demonstrated inter-rater reliability supports its potential utility in clinical practice. Further research is warranted to evaluate its intra-rater reliability, concurrent validity, and responsiveness in monitoring treatment effects.

MeSH

Pain, Pain Measurement, Lipedema