Panniculitis: a narrative review

Panniculitis is associated with a variety of disease processes that can be challenging to distinguish clinically. While diagnosis often relies on histopathology, sometimes this is not sufficiently diagnostic, which requires careful consideration of clinical features. We sought to provide an overview of the most common adult noninfectious panniculitis by reviewing not only the histological distinguishing features but also the clinical characteristics of various types of panniculitis including patient history, distribution, morphology, and other clues. A narrative review of both common and rare panniculitis primarily affecting the adult patient population was performed, with focus on recent English language publications. Additionally, both traditional and emerging therapeutic options are discussed. This article focused on diseases affecting predominantly adult populations and does not detail pediatric panniculitis or infectious etiologies. Overall, histopathology remains a key component in the diagnosis of panniculitis, but clinical characteristics provide substantial aid.