A Case of Lipomembranous Panniculitis Associated with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Lipomembranous panniculitis is a special type of fat necrosis which has been associated with several clinical conditions, mainly chronic venous insufficiency and connective tissue disorders such as lupus profundus, morphea, systemic sclerosis, and dermatomyositis. We report a 50 yearold woman with known rheumatoid arthritis who presented with a painful indurated erythematous plaque on her right leg. Histologic examination demonstrated cystic areas of fat necrosis lined by wavy eosinophilic hyaline membrane with convoluted projections of the membrane into the cysts. This finding is diagnostic of lipomembranous panniculitis. To our knowledge, this is the first report on lipomembranous panniculitis associated with rheumatoid arthritis.