Panniculitis, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions

This book describes Panniculitis, Diagnosis and Treatment and Related DiseasesLipoma is just a slow growing benign tumor of fatty tissue. Panniculitis is the inflammation of lumps (lipomas) in the fat layer under the skin causing pain. Dercum's disease (adiposis dolorosa) has painful lipomas with obesity and weakness. Panniculitis is a group of disorders that produce painful lumps, or nodules, to form under the skin, often on the legs and feet.
These lumps produce inflammation in the fat layer under the skin. This layer is termed the panniculus or subcutaneous fat layer. It is the type of fat that supplies insulation and helps control the body temperature. The patient tends more likely to obtaining panniculitis if the patient has:1. Infection, 2. Inflammatory disease, or3. Connective tissue disorder. Types of PanniculitisDoctors categorize panniculitis based on which area of the fat layer under the skin is inflamed.1.
Septal panniculitis involves the connective tissue around the fat.2. Lobular panniculitis involves fat lobules. This disorder can also affect different types of immune cells in the skin such as:a. Histiocytesb. Lymphocytesc. Neutrophils3. Most forms of panniculitis are mixed with both septal and lobular inflammation.4. Some forms have inflamed blood vessels in the skin, termed panniculitis with vasculitis.
More specific forms of panniculitis are:1. Erythema nodosum:This is the most frequent and well known form of panniculitis. It produces red, painful lumps to form on the front of the lower legs. It also produces more general symptoms like fever, headache, and eye disorders.2. Cold panniculitis:This form involves areas of skin that have been exposed to extreme cold, such as when spending time outdoors (skiers wearing inadequate clothing).
The involved skin is poorly-defined, red-blue in color and cold to touch.3. Lipodermatosclerosis:This form is related to vein disorders and obesity. It often involves overweight women over 40. The acute form manifests as episodes of painful inflammation in the lower legs, above the ankles, resembling cellulites4. Erythema induratum:This form involves the calves of middle-aged women.5. Subcutaneous sarcoidosis:This form is produced by the disease sarcoidosis.6.
Weber-Christian disease:This form is used to depict a form of the disease that often affects women in midlife. It produces lumps on the thighs and lower legs. It can also affect other organs. Weber-Christian disease is also termed Idiopathic nodular panniculitisOther different types of panniculitis may be:1. Lupus panniculitis2. Pancreatitis-linked panniculitis3. Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency linked panniculitis4.
Infective panniculitisMany different disorders produce panniculitis such as:1. Infections from bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites2. Inflammatory diseases, such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis3. Diabetes4. Injuries from intense exercise, exposure to cold temperatures5. Connective tissue disorders such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma6. Medicines such as sulfonamide antibiotics, iodide, bromide, and large doses of corticosteroids7.
Sarcoidosis, which causes clumps of inflammatory cells to form in the body8. Cancers like leukemia and lymphoma9. Pancreatic diseases10. Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, a genetic disorderThe main symptom is painful or tender lumpsInflammation in the body can injure organs such as the liver, pancreas, lungs, and bone marrow. The aim in treating panniculitis is to stop inflammation and relieve the symptoms (pain, stress)Medicinal treatments are steroids and ...