PANNICULITIS - RECENT DEVELOPMENTS AND OBSERVATIONS

Dermatopathologists rarely greet a biopsy of panniculitis with total c onfidence that a specific, definitive diagnosis will be rendered. As w ith many other areas in dermatopathology, our understanding of the pat hogenesis of many forms of panniculitis is incomplete. This article ex amines a subset of panniculitis primarily from a pathogenetic standpoi nt, with the intention of providing a differential diagnosis for those cases in which ischemic changes are seen in the subcutis. The diverse group of conditions evoked by this approach also shares the distincti on of having been the focus of nosologic and causative controversy, bo th historically and currently. In particular, stasis associated sclero sing panniculitis, vascular calcification-cutaneous necrosis syndrome (calciphylaxis), oxalosis, and nodular vasculitis-erythema induratum a re examined in depth. Erythema nodosum and variants, other granulomato us panniculitides, and panniculitides showing cytophagocytosis are als o discussed with current perspectives. Copyright (C) 1996 by W.B. Saun ders Company.