Panniculitis mimicking lupus erythematosus profundus - A new histopathologic finding in malignant atrophic papulosis (Degos disease)

We present the case of a 57-year-old woman with a 1-year history of a cutan eous eruption clinically and histopathologically characteristic of Degos di sease. In one of the two cutaneous biopsy specimens taken from the trunk le sions, the histopathology consisted of necrosis and sclerosis of the subcut aneous lobules, a finding that to our knowledge has not been previously des cribed in the cutaneous lesions of Degos disease. Two months after cutaneou s biopsies were taken, the patient developed ptosis and an episode of acute abdominal pain; intestinal perforation and many characteristic lesions of visceral Degos disease involving the entire small bowel were noted at lapar otomy.