Panniculitis showing membranocystic changes in the dermatomyositis

Subcutaneous tissue involvement in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: Systematic literature review including three new cases and hypothetical mechanisms

INTRODUCTION

Involvement of subcutaneous tissue in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) is poorly known.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review of the literature regarding panniculitis and lipodystrophy/lipoatrophy in juvenile and adult IIM via PubMed/Medline, Embase and Scopus databases. Three local observations are included in this review. Epidemiological, clinical, paraclinical and therapeutic data were collected.

RESULTS

Panniculitis appears to be more common in adults than in juveniles. It was mainly localised in the upper and lower limbs. Panniculitis improved in most cases with steroids and panniculitis and myositis had a similar course in 83.3% and 72.2% of cases in juveniles and adults, respectively. Lipodystrophy appeared to be more frequent in juveniles and was only observed in dermatomyositis in both juveniles and adults. Lipodystrophy was mainly partial in juveniles and adults. The median time from myositis to the diagnosis of lipodystrophy was 6 years [0-35] and 2.5 years [0-10] in juveniles and adults, respectively. Lipodystrophy was associated with anti-TIF1 gamma auto-antibody positivity, a polycyclic/chronic course of myositis and the occurrence of calcinosis and might be an indicator of poor disease control.

CONCLUSION

Adipose tissue involvement, particularly lipodystrophy, occurs almost exclusively in dermatomyositis. The insidious onset and lack of awareness of the diagnosis may underestimate its prevalence. Larger studies are needed to identify possible risk factors in these patients, to better potential underlying pathophysiological process, in order to discuss potential therapeutic targets.

Polymyositis with antisynthetase syndrome presented with lobular panniculitis: A case report

Panniculitis is rarely seen in polymyositis. To the best of our knowledge, we report the first case of panniculitis which precedes the antisynthetase syndrome.

[Panniculitis in patient undergoing treatment for dermatomyositis with methotrexate]

La panniculite est une manifestation rare au cours des dermatomyosites (DM). L'apparition d'une panniculite au cours d'un traitement par du méthotrexate (MTX) est exceptionnelle et n'a été décrite que dans 3 cas. Nous rapportons l'observation d'une patiente âgée de 50 ans atteinte d'une DM diagnostiquée en 1997 et traitée par une corticothérapie avec une évolution favorable aux plans clinique et biologique. A l'occasion d'une rechute 2 ans plus tard, la corticothérapie a été majorée et du méthotrexate à une dose hebdomadaire de 7,5 mg a été rajouté. L’évolution était rapidement favorable. Dix-huit mois plus tard, la patiente présentait de multiples nodules sous cutanés siégeant aux 4 membres et aux fesses, dont l'examen anatomopthologique concluait à une panniculite. Il n'existait aucun signe d’évolutivité de la DM. La dose de prédnisone a été augmentée à 0,5 mg/kg/j toujours en association au MTX mais sans aucune amélioration. Le MTX a été arrêté et les lésions cutanées ont complètement disparu en 2 mois sans aucune récidive avec un recul actuel de 42 mois. Notre observation est particulière par la survenue d'une panniculite chez une patiente ayant une DM traitée par du MTX et illustre la difficulté diagnostique. Cette entité doit être connue malgré son caractère exceptionnel puisque l'arrêt du MTX induit en général la disparition des nodules sous cutanés.

Calcific panniculitis and nasopharyngeal cancer-associated adult-onset dermatomyositis: a case report and literature review

Panniculitis is an uncommon cutaneous manifestation in dermatomyositis. It not only occurs in idiopathic dermatomyositis, but also rarely occurs in the setting of malignancy-associated dermatomyositis. Calcinosis cutis is also less likely to be found in adult-onset dermatomyositis. In malignancy-associated dermatomyositis, panniculitis can precede, concur, or follow the diagnosis of malignancy. We report the case of a 26-year-old Thai female with calcific panniculitis in the setting of adult-onset dermatomyositis associated with nasopharyngeal cancer. The clinical course of calcific panniculitis in our case was not parallel to the course of malignancy. Calcific panniculitis can appear many years after, despite the remission of the cancer. A thorough review of the previously reported literature is also provided.

Lipomembranous changes and calcification associated with systemic lupus erythematosus

Lipomembranous changes are histological findings without specific clinical correlations, and are thought to be related to vascular impairment in fatty tissue. We describe a case of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in which subcutaneous induration of the lower leg showed lipomembranous changes and calcification. This patient showed thrombophilia with thrombosis of the femoral and iliac veins, and cerebellar and myocardial infarction. A biopsy specimen from the subcutaneous tissue surrounding the multiple leg ulcers revealed degeneration of fat cells, lipomembranous changes in the fatty tissues, and calcification. Another biopsy specimen from the outer edges of the ulcers showed microthrombi and fibrinoid changes in the vessel walls, and mononuclear cell infiltrates in the dermis. Lipomembranous changes have been seen in connective tissue disorders such as lupus profundus, morphoea, systemic sclerosis, and panniculitis associated with dermatomyositis, but rarely associated with SLE. We speculate that ischaemic changes due to the vascular disturbance of the lower legs may have induced lipomembranous changes and calcification in the subcutaneous tissues in the present case.