Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Panniculitis?SymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is Panniculitis?
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Panniculitis is a catch-all term to describe inflammation of the fatty layer underneath the skin’s surface.
It causes inflamed lumps andplaques(broad, raised areas) on the skin, which range in size from several millimeters to several inches across. In the majority of cases, these lumps are painful.It can occur anywhere on the body but is most commonly found on the lower legs and feet.
In this article, learn more about panniculitis, including symptoms and causes. It also discusses diagnosis and forms of treatment.
Reproduced with permission from ©DermNet New Zealand and © Raimo Suhonenwww.dermnetnz.org2023.
Humans have three main layers of skin: theepidermis, thedermis, andsubcutaneous tissue. The epidermis is the uppermost layer, the layer we see every day. The dermis is just below and holds our oil glands, sweat glands, hair follicles, and bulbs. The deepest layer, the subcutaneous tissue, protects our body.
Anyone, at any age, can develop panniculitis, but it tends to be more common in women.
Symptoms of Panniculitis
The most notable indicator of panniculitis is tender lumps underneath the skin. You may have just one lump or a cluster of them. They may feel like knots or bumps under the skin or be broader, raised swellings called plaques. Sometimes, the swellings drain oily fluid or pus.
The most common place for panniculitis is the lower legs (shins and calves) and feet. However, it can develop in other areas of the body, including the hands and arms, thighs, buttocks, abdomen, breasts, or face. It’s much less frequently found in those areas, though.
You may also have a fever and feel run-down or tired. Joint or muscle aching, stomach pain, and nausea or vomiting can also occur. These symptoms can sometimes appear even before the swellings do.
Panniculitis can also cause dark discolorations on the skin that look like bruising. These typically will fade over time once the inflammation recedes. In some cases, it can also leave depressed areas on the skin. This happens if the tissue beneath has to be destroyed. These depressed areas may improve with time, but they’re often permanent.
What Is the Cause of Panniculitis?
Other causes of panniculitis can include:
In many cases, a specific cause isn’t identified. This is called idiopathic panniculitis.
Diagnosing Panniculitis
Not all skin lumps are panniculitis. Many other conditions can cause painful lumps and bumps underneath the skin’s surface: cysts andboils, deep acne lesions (acne nodules or cysts),folliculitis, and more.
There are many types of panniculitis, but the most common form iserythemanodosum.This type of panniculitis affects the lower legs, mainly the shins, although it sometimes can happen on the calves and thighs.Other types of panniculitis are incredibly rare.
Because so many things can cause panniculitis, getting a specific diagnosis can sometimes be challenging. You may never know precisely what is causing your panniculitis.
What Is the Best Treatment for Panniculitis?
The treatment for panniculitis varies depending on what is causing the condition. Just like there isn’t one sole cause of panniculitis, there isn’t one specific go-to treatment for the problem. Because many different conditions can cause panniculitis, treatment will vary from person to person.
You aren’t treating the panniculitis itself; there is no specific treatment for panniculitis. The focus is treating the underlying cause of panniculitis and easing symptoms to make you more comfortable.
Anti-inflammatory painkillers like ibuprofen can help lessen the swelling and make them feel less tender. Your healthcare provider may also prescribe antibiotics if you have a bacterial infection. Immunosuppressants, corticosteroids, and chemotherapy treatments may be used in severe, long-lasting cases.
Most cases of panniculitis will heal completely even without treatment, although it can last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months before subsiding. Until then, keeping the area elevated when possible can help with inflammation, as can cold compresses. Try compression stockings if panniculitis is on the legs.
Summary
Panniculitis can come and go, which can be frustrating especially if it has no clear cause or trigger. Work closely with your healthcare provider to come up with a plan to control or minimize the flare-ups. Most importantly, take it easy on yourself, and get plenty of rest to allow your body to heal.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Wick MR.Panniculitis: A summary.Semin Diagn Pathol. 2017;34(3):261-272. doi:10.1053/j.semdp.2016.12.004U.S. National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Fat layer in skin.Kishida D, Ushiyama S, Shimojima Y, Ueno KI, Kurashina JI, Shirai T, Sekijima Y.Painless Panniculitis upon the Treatment of Clinically Amyopathic Dermatomyositis with Anti-MDA5 Antibody.Intern Med. 2021;60(16):2697-2700. doi:10.2169/internalmedicine.6931-20Tekin B, Boire N, Shah K, Hanson J, Bridges AG.Viral panniculitis in a patient with disseminated opportunistic Enterovirus infection.J Cutan Pathol. 2021 Mar;48(3):434-438. doi:10.1111/cup.13930U.S. National Library of Medicine.Erythema nodosum.National Organization for Rare Disorders.Panniculitis, Idiopathic Nodular.Church DJ, Krumme J, Kotwal S.Evaluating Soft-Tissue Lumps and Bumps.Mo Med. 2017;114(4):289-294.Chowaniec M, Starba A, Wiland P.Erythema nodosum - review of the literature.Reumatologia. 2016;54(2):79-82. doi:10.5114/reum.2016.60217Golisch KB, Gottesman SP, Segal RJ.Compression stockings as an effective treatment for erythema nodosum: Case series.Int J Womens Dermatol. 2017;3(4):231-233. doi:10.1016/j.ijwd.2017.09.001
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Wick MR.Panniculitis: A summary.Semin Diagn Pathol. 2017;34(3):261-272. doi:10.1053/j.semdp.2016.12.004U.S. National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Fat layer in skin.Kishida D, Ushiyama S, Shimojima Y, Ueno KI, Kurashina JI, Shirai T, Sekijima Y.Painless Panniculitis upon the Treatment of Clinically Amyopathic Dermatomyositis with Anti-MDA5 Antibody.Intern Med. 2021;60(16):2697-2700. doi:10.2169/internalmedicine.6931-20Tekin B, Boire N, Shah K, Hanson J, Bridges AG.Viral panniculitis in a patient with disseminated opportunistic Enterovirus infection.J Cutan Pathol. 2021 Mar;48(3):434-438. doi:10.1111/cup.13930U.S. National Library of Medicine.Erythema nodosum.National Organization for Rare Disorders.Panniculitis, Idiopathic Nodular.Church DJ, Krumme J, Kotwal S.Evaluating Soft-Tissue Lumps and Bumps.Mo Med. 2017;114(4):289-294.Chowaniec M, Starba A, Wiland P.Erythema nodosum - review of the literature.Reumatologia. 2016;54(2):79-82. doi:10.5114/reum.2016.60217Golisch KB, Gottesman SP, Segal RJ.Compression stockings as an effective treatment for erythema nodosum: Case series.Int J Womens Dermatol. 2017;3(4):231-233. doi:10.1016/j.ijwd.2017.09.001
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Wick MR.Panniculitis: A summary.Semin Diagn Pathol. 2017;34(3):261-272. doi:10.1053/j.semdp.2016.12.004U.S. National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Fat layer in skin.Kishida D, Ushiyama S, Shimojima Y, Ueno KI, Kurashina JI, Shirai T, Sekijima Y.Painless Panniculitis upon the Treatment of Clinically Amyopathic Dermatomyositis with Anti-MDA5 Antibody.Intern Med. 2021;60(16):2697-2700. doi:10.2169/internalmedicine.6931-20Tekin B, Boire N, Shah K, Hanson J, Bridges AG.Viral panniculitis in a patient with disseminated opportunistic Enterovirus infection.J Cutan Pathol. 2021 Mar;48(3):434-438. doi:10.1111/cup.13930U.S. National Library of Medicine.Erythema nodosum.National Organization for Rare Disorders.Panniculitis, Idiopathic Nodular.Church DJ, Krumme J, Kotwal S.Evaluating Soft-Tissue Lumps and Bumps.Mo Med. 2017;114(4):289-294.Chowaniec M, Starba A, Wiland P.Erythema nodosum - review of the literature.Reumatologia. 2016;54(2):79-82. doi:10.5114/reum.2016.60217Golisch KB, Gottesman SP, Segal RJ.Compression stockings as an effective treatment for erythema nodosum: Case series.Int J Womens Dermatol. 2017;3(4):231-233. doi:10.1016/j.ijwd.2017.09.001
Wick MR.Panniculitis: A summary.Semin Diagn Pathol. 2017;34(3):261-272. doi:10.1053/j.semdp.2016.12.004
U.S. National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Fat layer in skin.
Kishida D, Ushiyama S, Shimojima Y, Ueno KI, Kurashina JI, Shirai T, Sekijima Y.Painless Panniculitis upon the Treatment of Clinically Amyopathic Dermatomyositis with Anti-MDA5 Antibody.Intern Med. 2021;60(16):2697-2700. doi:10.2169/internalmedicine.6931-20
Tekin B, Boire N, Shah K, Hanson J, Bridges AG.Viral panniculitis in a patient with disseminated opportunistic Enterovirus infection.J Cutan Pathol. 2021 Mar;48(3):434-438. doi:10.1111/cup.13930
U.S. National Library of Medicine.Erythema nodosum.
National Organization for Rare Disorders.Panniculitis, Idiopathic Nodular.
Church DJ, Krumme J, Kotwal S.Evaluating Soft-Tissue Lumps and Bumps.Mo Med. 2017;114(4):289-294.
Chowaniec M, Starba A, Wiland P.Erythema nodosum - review of the literature.Reumatologia. 2016;54(2):79-82. doi:10.5114/reum.2016.60217
Golisch KB, Gottesman SP, Segal RJ.Compression stockings as an effective treatment for erythema nodosum: Case series.Int J Womens Dermatol. 2017;3(4):231-233. doi:10.1016/j.ijwd.2017.09.001
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