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| Fig. 19.5 A, Subcutaneous fat necrosis of the left upper arm in an otherwise healthy infant. B, Biopsy of subcutaneous fat necrosis demonstrating characteristic fat destruction with needle-shaped clefts that induce a foreign body reaction consisting of macrophages and multinucleated giant cells. (Courtesy of James E. Fitzpatrick, MD.) |
No, but in both conditions, there are varying degrees of sclerosis of the subcutaneous fat of newborns.
Sclerema neonatorum is very rare and occurs in premature, hypothermic infants with underlying medical problems. It is characterized by diffusely cold, rigid, boardlike skin; neonatal death is common. In
subcutaneous fat necrosis of the newborn (Fig. 19-5A), relatively discrete, firm subcutaneous nodules develop several weeks after birth in an otherwise healthy baby. Hypercalcemia may be present, causing seizures and nephrocalcinosis, but the overall prognosis for survival and resolution of the lesions is excellent.
Ladoyanni E, Moss C, Brown RM, Ogboli M: Subcutaneous fat necrosis in a newborn associated with asymptomatic and uncomplicated hypercalcemia,
Pediatr Dermatol 26:217–219, 2009.
