Any disturbance of fat metabolism; an abnormal or degenerative disorder of the body's adipose tissue: Lipodystrophy can be intestinal lipodystrophy, a rare disease of uncertain etiology, chiefly of middle-aged men, presenting with joint pains, steatorrhea, wasting, and lymph node enlargement. .

lipodystrophy refers to a group of conditions due to defective metabolism of fat, resulting in the absence of subcutaneous fat, that may be congenital or acquired and partial or total.