Abstract: Multiple symmetrical lipomatosis is a kind of rare lipodystrophia disease which usually occurs in middle-aged men addicted to alcohol．It is characterized by a diffuse, symmetric distribution of the nonenveloped adipose tissue in the cervical, nuchal, shoulder, upper extremity and back region. Operation has been the most effective treatment so far. The author tried to make a detailed introduction about the epidemiology, aetiology, clinical manifestation, diagnosis, therapeutics and prognosis of the disease by reviewing a case of multiple symmetrical lipomatosis and studying foreign and domestic literature.