Lipomembranous changes in chronic panniculitis.

The clinical and histopathologic findings in 13 patients with lipomembranous changes in the subcutaneous adipose tissue as part of the inflammatory reaction are presented. Nine patients had clinical evidence of vascular disease and four had clinical evidence of connective tissue disease. Histopathologic evidence of endarteritis obliterans, venous stasis, and hemorrhage was present in more than half the patients, and the clinical lesion of liposclerosis was frequently present. These findings suggest that the histologic changes of lipomembranous panniculitis may be the result of an inflammatory reaction in patients who have the liposclerosis of venous insufficiency with connective tissue disease or previous leg ischemia or both.