Turkish Validation of the Rapprich Lipedema Symptomatic Assessment Questionnaire

NCT07725146 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: RapprichTR
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 180
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

Lipedema is a chronic disease characterized by abnormal fat accumulation, primarily in the lower extremities, affecting women. This study aims to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Rapprich Lipedema Symptomatic Assessment Questionnaire, which was originally developed by Rapprich et al. in 2010. Since a validated Turkish version is currently unavailable, this research will provide a standardized tool for clinicians to assess symptomatic severity in Turkish-speaking lipedema patients.

Conditions

Lipedema

Keywords

Lipedema; Rapprich Questionnaire; Symptom Assessment; Turkish; Cultural Adaptation; Adipose Tissue Diseases; Quality of Life

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Internal Consistency (Cronbach's Alpha)

  Evaluation of the internal consistency of the 15-item Turkish Rapprich Lipedema Questionnaire.

  At baseline (Day 0).

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Test-Retest Reliability (ICC)

  Baseline and 14 days

• Criterion Validity (Correlation with SF-36).

  At baseline (Day 0)

Study Arms (3)

Stage I Lipedema

60 female patients diagnosed with Stage I lipedema

Other: Questionnaires; Other: Physical Examination and Functional Testing

Stage II Lipedema

60 female patients diagnosed with Stage II lipedema

Other: Questionnaires; Other: Physical Examination and Functional Testing

Stage III Lipedema

60 female patients diagnosed with Stage III

Other: Questionnaires; Other: Physical Examination and Functional Testing

Interventions

Questionnaires OTHER

Turkish version of Rapprich Lipedema Symptomatic Assessment Questionnaire: A 15-item scale used to evaluate the severity of lipedema symptoms (such as pain, tension, tenderness, bruising, and heaviness) on a 0-10 point rating scale. Short Form-36 (SF-36) Health Survey: A widely used, validated scale to assess the general health status and quality of life across eight sub-dimensions, used in this study for criterion validity

Stage I Lipedema; Stage II Lipedema; Stage III Lipedema

Physical Examination and Functional Testing OTHER

* Anthropometric and Vital Measurements: Recording of demographic data (age, height, weight, BMI), as well as arterial blood pressure and pulse rate. * Lipedema-Specific Assessment: Clinical determination of the lipedema stage (Stages I-III) and type (Types I-V). * Morphometric Measurements: Measurement of waist and hip circumferences (for waist-to-hip ratio) and actual leg length. * Lower Extremity Volume Calculation: Circular circumference measurements taken at 4 cm intervals starting from the ankle to calculate the total volume of both lower extremities. * 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT): A functional test to evaluate the total walking distance and heart rate response, assessing the patient's functional capacity.

Stage I Lipedema; Stage II Lipedema; Stage III Lipedema

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 75 Years
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population consists of 180 female patients aged 18 to 75 years diagnosed with Stage I, II, or III lipedema, recruited from the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation clinics of the participating hospitals.

You may qualify if:

• Female patients aged 18-75.
• Diagnosed with lipedema by a clinician.
• Willingness to participate and sign the informed consent form.

You may not qualify if:

• Positive Stemmer sign or presence of advanced-stage lymphedema.
• Diagnosis of Heart Failure.
• Chronic Kidney Disease.
• Pregnancy.
• BMI \> 50 kg/m².

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Marmara University: lead

Study Sites (2)

Sultan 2. Abdülhamid Han Training and Research Hospital, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinic, Istanbul, Turkey.

Istanbul, Kadıköy, Turkey (Türkiye)

RECRUITING

Marmara University Pendik Training and Research Hospital, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, Istanbul, Turkey.

Istanbul, Pendik, 34899, Turkey (Türkiye)

RECRUITING

Related Publications (4)

• Mortada H, Alhithlool AW, AlBattal NZ, Shetty RK, Al-Mekhlafi GA, Hong JP, Alshomer F. Lipedema: Clinical Features, Diagnosis, and Management. Arch Plast Surg. 2025 May 15;52(3):185-196. doi: 10.1055/a-2530-5875. eCollection 2025 May.

  PMID: 40386000 BACKGROUND

• Amato ACM, Amato FCM, Benitti DA, Dos Santos RV. Translation, cultural adaptation, and validation of a lipedema symptoms questionnaire. J Vasc Bras. 2020 Aug 31;19:e20200049. doi: 10.1590/1677-5449.200049.

  PMID: 34178078 BACKGROUND

• van la Parra RFD, Deconinck C, Pirson G, Servaes M, Fosseprez P. Lipedema: What we don't know. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2023 Sep;84:302-312. doi: 10.1016/j.bjps.2023.05.056. Epub 2023 May 30.

  PMID: 37390539 BACKGROUND

• Rapprich S, Dingler A, Podda M. Liposuction is an effective treatment for lipedema-results of a study with 25 patients. J Dtsch Dermatol Ges. 2011 Jan;9(1):33-40. doi: 10.1111/j.1610-0387.2010.07504.x. Epub 2010 Sep 7. English, German.

  PMID: 21166777 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Lipedema

Interventions

Surveys and Questionnaires; Restraint, Physical

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Connective Tissue Diseases; Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Data Collection; Epidemiologic Methods; Investigative Techniques; Health Care Evaluation Mechanisms; Quality of Health Care; Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation; Public Health; Environment and Public Health; Behavior Control; Therapeutics; Immobilization

Study Officials

• Canan Şanal, Assoc. Prof.

  Marmara University Faculty of Medicine

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Canan Şanal, Assoc. Prof.

CONTACT

+90 533 138 10 32; canansanal@hotmail.com

M. Selim Eryılmaz, Res. Asst.

CONTACT

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: CASE CONTROL
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 21, 2026
• First Posted: July 24, 2026
• Study Start: July 17, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): February 15, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): March 15, 2027
• Last Updated: July 24, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-07

Locations

TU (2)