Pancreatic panniculitis: case report

ABSTRACT

Pancreatic panniculitis is a rare condition, affecting 2 to 3% of patients with pancreatic diseases, such as acute pancreatitis or pancreatic carcinoma. The clinical manifestations of panniculitis are painful erythematous nodules, predominantly affecting the lower limbs. From an anatomopathological point of view, the subcutaneous nodules are made of fat necrosis and vacuolated macrophages. The treatment consists in resolving the underlying diseases. We present the case of a 56-year-old female, admitted on the Emergency Department, who presented with acute abdominal pain and subcutaneous erythematous nodules. The combination of laboratory data, clinical and anatomopathological results confirmed the pancreatic panniculitis, in an underlying acute pancreatitis. The treatment focused on the resolution of the pancreatic disease.