Lupus Panniculitis of the Lower Leg Misdiagnosed as an Abscess:A Case Report

Author: Young-Chae SEO ¹ ; Hyun-Seung LEE ; Dae-Yoo KIM
Author Information

1. Republic of Korea Air Force, Jinju, Korea
Publication Type:Case Report
From:Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society 2024;28(1):36-39
CountryRepublic of Korea
Language:English
Abstract: Lupus panniculitis is a rare disease that may present with similar clinical manifestations to an infection, such as cellulitis or abscess. This paper reports a case of a 25-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus who underwent surgical intervention initially with the suspicion of an abscess but who was eventually diagnosed with lupus panniculitis. Despite the low incidence of lower leg involvement of panniculitis, clinicians should be aware of the possibility of an etiology other than infection when encountering patients with inflammatory diseases. Moreover, a skin biopsy and magnetic resonance imaging with a diffusion-weight image may be helpful.