[Weber-Christian disease]

A fourteen month old infant was admitted for evaluation because of continuous high fever and an indurated nodular lesion at the left thigh of one month course. After admittance painful inflammatory subcutaneous nodules appeared in the face and trunk, these were accompanied by enlarged cervical lymph nodes and hepatomegaly. Histological evaluation of the skin biopsy showed destruction of subcutaneous tissue, foamy cells, vasculitis and polymorphonuclear leukocyte infiltration; histiocytic proliferation in the lymph nodes and steatosis in the liver biopsy. Osteoarticular infection, cellulitis, sepsis, tuberculosis, collagen disease, and malignancies of hematologic origin were all ruled out. Response to treatment with prednisone was excellent and the patient has been asymptomatic along a one year follow up period.