The Effects of Iontophoresis in Women With Gynoid Hidrolipodystrophy

Introduction: Gynoid hydrolipodystrophy (HLDG) or cellulitis is a subcutaneous tissue disorder, with several strategies for its treatment, such as caffeine and iontophoresis. Objective: To evaluate the effects of caffeine‐associated iontophoresis for the treatment of HLDG. Methods: In a longitudinal study, participants will be evaluated for: photographic documentation, ultrasound imaging, thermography and quality of life questionnaire. If included, they will be separated into 3 randomized groups (n = 30). G1: use of base gel (n = 10); G2: use of iontophoresis and gel with caffeine (n = 10) and G3: use of iontophoresis alone (n = 10). The groups will be treated with 10 sessions, 2 times per week. After that they will be reevaluated. Statistical analysis: The software used will be the SPSS StatisticalPackage (IBM SPSS Statistics, Chicago, IL, USA). The data distribution will be analyzed by the Shapiro‐Wilk test. In case of normal distribution, the data will be described as mean ± standard deviation; otherwise, as median [interquartile range 25‐75%]. For comparison of the data, we will use ANOVA and for comparison of means the Tukey test and case not normal distribution, krulskal‐Wallis test and the Dunns test. The level of statistical significance adopted will be P <0.05. Expected contributions: It is expected that investigators can contribute to the treatment of patients with HLDG and analyze the effects of iontophoresis with caffeine, both in clinical and scientific practice, providing a method that is valid and reliable for this purpose; multidisciplinary training of highly qualified human resources and the strengthening and consolidation of a research team.