Abstract
Pancreatic panniculitis is a form of subcutaneous fat necrosis that occurs as a rare manifestation of various pancreatic diseases, most commonly pancreatitis, or pancreatic carcinoma. Fat necrosis at remote sites occurs in only a small percentage of those with pancreatic disease. Its pathogenesis is uncertain. A review of 893 hospital admissions for various pancreatic diseases revealed only three cases of pancreatic panniculitis (1). Circulating pancreatic enzymes, lipase and amylase, are elevated in most but not all cases of pancreatic panniculitis (2). Human pancreatic lipase has been identified in lesions of pancreatic panniculitis, supporting its role in the pathogenesis of the disease (3). In vitro and clinical observations suggest that factors other than circulating amylase and lipase are necessary for the development of pancreatic panniculitis. In vitro incubation of human adipose tissue with pancreatic enzymes and serum from a patient with pancreatic panniculitis and elevated enzymes failed to induce fat necrosis, suggesting that there are other local factors or a labile circulating factor needed to induce the necrosis (4).
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(2007). Pancreatic Panniculitis. In: Deadly Dermatologic Diseases. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-68858-9_21
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-68858-9_21
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