Post-operative subcutaneous fat necrosis in a newborn: a case report

Subcutaneous fat necrosis of the newborn (ScFN) is an uncommon condition of neonates and infants. The disorder is caused by generalized and local tissue hypoperfusion. The ScFN tends to improve spontaneously with or without some severe complications such as hypercalcemia. The ScFN may occur as iatrogenic after hypothermic surgical interventions. We present iatrogenic ScFN in a newborn with uncomplicated hypercalcemia due to cold exposure on operating table during at an umbilical cord hernia operation. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a patient in whom ScFN occurred during a commonly performed and relatively short-term "nonhypothermic" operation.