Panniculitis in a patient with mixed connective tissue disease
Masahiro Nakashima1 , Kimihiro Suzuki1, Makoto Okada1, Koji Kataharada1, Kunio Takada1, Takashi Nakanishi1, Masami Kobayashi2 and Fumitaka Ohsuzu1
(1) Department of Internal Medicine I, National Defense Medical College, 3-2 Namiki, Tokorozawa, 359-8513, Japan
(2) Department of Dermatology, National Defense Medical Collage, Tokorozawa, Japan
A 51-year-old woman who had been suffering from mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) for 8 years developed an erythematous rash with pain and tenderness on her left leg. A skin biopsy revealed septal panniculitis with multiple lymphangiectasis. No vasculitis was observed. An increase in her prednisolone dose from 5mg to 20mg/day led to an improvement in these lesions. Panniculitis is very rare in MCTD. The clinical significance of panniculitis in MCTD is also discussed.
