Topical capsaicin for the treatment of acute lipodermatosclerosis and lobular panniculitis.

Topical capsaicin is well known to reduce nociceptive pain and neurogenic inflammation by depleting substance P. Its fibrinolytic and antithrombotic effects are less well known. We report two cases of acute lipodermatosclerosis which did not respond to several conventional treatment regimens and one case of acute lobular panniculitis in a pregnant woman with venous insufficiency, who were successfully treated within a short period of 3 weeks with topical 0.075% capsaicin cream.