Panniculitis

Adipose tissue involvement is rare in dermatomyositis. The occurrence of partial or diffuse lipodystrophy is a rare but well-characterized manifestation, particularly in juvenile forms of dermatomyositis. Panniculitis, on the other hand, is exceptional and rarely described in the literature, mostly in the form of clinical cases. Panniculitis in dermatomyositis is exceptional. There are no validated diagnostic criteria or treatment recommendations. Treatment is based, by analogy, on the therapeutic strategy for lupus panniculitis and involves synthetic antimalarials combined with steroids and/or immunosuppressants. The aim of this study is to describe panniculitis in dermatomyositis in order to determine whether there are clinical or histological characteristics that distinguish it from other causes of panniculitis, particularly panniculitis associated with lupus erythematosus.

The objective of this study is to explore the role of ultrasonography (non-invasive imaging device) in the diagnosis of subcutaneous nodules (mass/bumb underneath the skin). Patients who presented with subcutaneous nodules and was indicated for diagnostic skin biopsies were recruited. Prior to skin biopsies (not part of the study's intervention), ultrasonography(intervention) was used to examine the characteristics of the nodules. The ultrasonographic findings are then compared to the pathological results to explore the role of ultrasonography in differentiating each disease or group of diseases that presented with skin nodules.