EOSINOPHILIC PANNICULITIS - DIAGNOSTIC CONSIDERATIONS AND EVALUATION

Background: Eosinophilic panniculitis is characterized by a prominent infiltration of subcutaneous fat with eosinophils. It has been identif ied in patients who have a variety of associated clinical conditions. Objective: Our purpose was to describe clinical conditions associated with eosinophilic panniculitis. Methods: We describe five patients wit h eosinophilic panniculitis. These patients had a variety of clinical conditions including arthropod bites, gnathostomiasis, and polyarterit is nodosa. We review the Literature on patients with eosinophilic pann iculitis. Results: Eosinophilic panniculitis most often presents as a nodule, Gnathostomiasis, leukocytoclastic vasculitis, and erythema nod osum appear to be the most common conditions associated with eosinophi lic panniculitis. Other disorders include atopic and contact dermatiti s, eosinophilic cellulitis, injection granuloma, arthropod bites, stre ptococcal and other bacterial infections, toxocariasis, B- and T-cell lymphoma, and refractory anemia with excess blasts. Conclusion: Once a diagnosis of eosinophilic panniculitis has been established, appropri ate evaluation for an associated clinical condition should be performe d.