Panniculitides--a clinicopathologic study

To describe the clinical and pathologic features of panniculitides, an uncommon group of diseases, where the available Indian literature is sparse.

Prospective four years study of patients presenting with panniculitis to a large teaching hospital in North India.

Erythema nodosum (EN) was the commonest panniculitis (79.3% cases) in our cohort. Other causes included erythema induratum, Weber Christian disease, cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa and panniculitis associated with Takayasu's arteritis and dermatomyositis-lupus overlap. Elevated ESR and leukocytosis were the common laboratory abnormalities encountered. Septal panniculitis without vasculitis was the most frequent histopathologic pattern observed. Patients of EN did well on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs while corticosteroids with or without azathioprine were used to treat other panniculitides.

Physician awareness, clinical pattern recognition and histopathological confirmation, all play a key role in the identification and management of panniculitis.