Eosinophilic panniculitis: diagnostic considerations and evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Eosinophilic panniculitis is characterized by a prominent infiltration of subcutaneous fat with eosinophils. It has been identified in patients who have a variety of associated clinical conditions.

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to describe clinical conditions associated with eosinophilic panniculitis.

METHODS: We describe five patients with eosinophilic panniculitis. These patients had a variety of clinical conditions including arthropod bites, gnathostomiasis, and polyarteritis nodosa. We review the literature on patients with eosinophilic panniculitis.

RESULTS: Eosinophilic panniculitis most often presents as a nodule. Gnathostomiasis, leukocytoclastic vasculitis, and erythema nodosum appear to be the most common conditions associated with eosinophilic panniculitis. Other disorders include atopic and contact dermatitis, eosinophilic cellulitis, injection granuloma, arthropod bites, streptococcal and other bacterial infections, toxocariasis, B- and T-cell lymphoma, and refractory anemia with excess blasts.

CONCLUSION: Once a diagnosis of eosinophilic panniculitis has been established, appropriate evaluation for an associated clinical condition should be performed.