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Status unknownNCT04821583N-of-1 SLNUpdated Mar 29, 2021

Hydrocortisone Treatment for Symmetric Lipomatosis Associated With Neuropathy (SLN): an N-of-1 Study Hydrocortisone Treatment for Symmetric Lipomatosis Associated With Neuropathy (SLN): an N-of-1 Study

A Phase 3 interventional study of Hydrocortisone and Placebo in Symmetric Lipomatoses, Multiple, sponsored by Erasmus Medical Center. Status unknown at 1 site in Netherlands. Open to female participants aged 31 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2021-03-29.

Sponsored by Erasmus Medical Center · Phase 3, Interventional, and Treatment

The sponsor has not verified this record recently (last verified Mar 2021), so the status shown — last known as Not yet recruiting — may be out of date.
Phase
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
1
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
31 Years and older
Sex
Female
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Study summary

A young women with Symmetric Lipomatosis associated with Neuropathy (SLN) was seen at the department of Internal Medicine - Endocrinology and at the department of Neurology at the Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The patient presented with balance problems due to neuropathy and prominent cervical and genital lipomas. In the past, the patient had been treated with steroids for a short period. The patient noticed that, as a 'side effect', during this treatment period the lipomas shrank and that the balance problems nearly disappeared. The complaints reappeared after withdrawal of the steroids. In the current study, the usefulness of steroid treatment in this single patient will be investigated in an N-of-1 trial.

Primary objective: to determine the efficacy of hydrocortisone treatment for neuropathy on an individual level in a patient with SLN as assessed with the Rasch-built Overall Disability Scale (RODS).

Read the detailed description

A young women with Symmetric Lipomatosis associated with Neuropathy (SLN) was seen at the department of Internal Medicine-Endocrinology and the department of Neurology at the Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. SLN is a rare disorder characterized by symmetric lipomas and neuropathy due to a homozygous mutation of c.2119C>T p.R707W in the MFN2 gene. Only seven cases of SLN are known in the literature. The patient presented with balance problems due to neuropathy and prominent cervical and genital lipomas. In the past, the patient had been treated with steroids (prednisolone) for a short period, because of a suspicion of adrenal insufficiency. The patient noticed that, as a 'side effect', during this treatment period the lipomas shrank and that the balance problems nearly disappeared. However, as a synacthen test showed that adrenal function was normal, steroid treatment was tapered and the complaints reappeared. In a follow-up visit at our outpatient clinic, the patient requested to be treated again with steroids for the complaints. As there is no literature on the effects of treatment with steroids on balance problems and on the size of lipomas in patients with SLN, the usefulness of steroid treatment in this single patient is investigated in an N-of-1 trial in order to improve the clinical care for this patient.

Primary objective: to determine the efficacy of hydrocortisone treatment for neuropathy on an individual level in a patient with SLN as assessed with the Rasch-built Overall Disability Scale (RODS).

Secondary objectives: to determine the effect of hydrocortisone treatment on the size of a lipoma in the neck, on the Medical Research Council (MRC) sum score and on specific personalized goals that are important to the patient and the patients' environment (Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS)).

02

Conditions studied

  • Symmetric Lipomatoses, Multiple

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Keywords

  • Symmetric Lipomatosis associated with Neuropathy
  • Hydrocortisone
  • Lipoma
  • Neuropathy
03

In context

Lipoma

22 studies on the registry are indexed under Lipoma; 6 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 1 is below the median of 30 across 17 interventional studies indexed under Lipoma.

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Lead sponsor

Erasmus Medical Center is the lead sponsor of 478 studies on the registry; 183 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
31 Years and older
Sexes eligible
Female
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

The study is especially designed for a specific female patient. The patient is 31 years old at the moment. Since the study is especially designed for this patient, there are no formal inclusion and exclusion criteria. However, the study will be stopped when the patient gets pregnant as this can influence the primary and secondary outcome measures.

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

  • N/A

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnancy
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 3
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Crossover assignment
Masking
Quadruple (Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
1 participant (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Hydrocortisone

    Hydrocortisone (20 mg/day) in a 10-5-5 schedule: 10 mg at 0700h, 5 mg at 1200h, and 5 mg at 1700h. The hydrocortisone periods last 10 weeks per period. In total, there are two hydrocortisone periods.

    Drug: Hydrocortisone

  • Placebo comparator
    Placebo

    Placebo (20 mg/day) in a 10-5-5 schedule: 10 mg at 0700h, 5 mg at 1200h, and 5 mg at 1700h. The placebo periods last 10 weeks per period. In total, there are two placebo periods.

    Drug: Placebo

Interventions

  • Hydrocortisone is orally administered.

  • DrugPlacebo

    Placebo is orally administered.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Rasch-built Overall Disability Scale (RODS)

    The RODS is a validated 24-items questionnaire to measure the activity and social participation limitations in patients with neuropathy. The questionnaire has a score range of 0 to 100. A higher score means a better outcome (less limitations of the neuropathy)

    Time frame: Baseline to 414 days

Secondary outcomes

  1. Size of lipoma

    The size of the lipoma will be measured with a centimeter by the researcher during hospital visits. The researcher will also take a picture of the lipoma in front of graph paper in a standardized manner. In between hospital visits, the participant will take a picture of the lipoma in front of graph paper.

    Time frame: Baseline to 414 days

  2. Medical Research Council (MRC) sumscore

    The MRC sumscore is a validated tool to measure muscle strength and must be carried out by a physician, nurse, physiotherapist or other professional. The score has a range of 1 to 5. A higher score means a better outcome.

    Time frame: Baseline to 414 days

  3. Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS)

    GAS is an individualized outcome measure in which several personal goals and the corresponding scaling are defined in consultation with the patient. The scaling is standardized, which makes it possible to reliably measure the change in the situation of the patient. The levels range from -3 to +2. A higher level means a better outcome. The predefined personal goals are a measure of the effectivity of the treatment. If possible, three goals will be set.

    Time frame: Baseline to 414 days

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Erasmus MC
    Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland 3015GD, Netherlands
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Yes — Individual participant data is available upon reasonable request.

Supporting information: Study protocol, Statistical analysis plan

Time frame: The data will become available after completion of the study and only upon reasonable request and with permission of the participant.

Access criteria: A motivated request.

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Mar 29, 2021, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04821583
Responsible party
dr. Laura C. G. de Graaff-Herder (Principal investigator, Erasmus Medical Center) — Principal investigator
First posted
Mar 29, 2021
Start date
Jun 1, 2021 (estimated)
Primary completion
Sep 1, 2022 (estimated)
Completion
Sep 1, 2022 (estimated)
Last update
Mar 29, 2021

Study contacts

Laura de Graaff, MD, PhD
Contact
l.degraaff@erasmusmc.nl
+31618843010
Laura de Graaff, MD, PhD
principal investigator · Department of Internal Medicine - Endocrinology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is status unknown, as verified in Mar 2021. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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