Small Animal Dermatology, 3rd edition

chapter 38 Panniculitis..........................................

DEFINITION/OVERVIEW

 Inflammation of the subcutaneous fat tissue; variety of etiologies; infectious versus

idiopathic; uncommon in dogs and cats.

ETIOLOGY/PATHOPHYSIOLOGY

 Lipocyte (adipocyte, fat cell) is susceptible to trauma, ischemic disease, and inflam-

mation from adjacent tissues.

 Damage to lipocytes results in lipid hydrolysis into glycerol and fatty acids.

 Fatty acids incite an inflammatory response leading to granulomatous tissue reaction.

 Causes:
Infectious: parasites, bacteria, mycosis, atypicalMycobacteria,Nocardia,Bar-

tonella, poxvirus

Immune mediated: lupus panniculitis, erythema nodosum, drug reaction, vas-

culitis, rheumatoid arthritis, lymphoplasmacytic colitis

Idiopathic form: sterile nodular panniculitis (SNP)

Puncture wounds, blunt trauma, foreign body

Neoplastic: multicentric mast cell tumors, cutaneous lymphosarcoma, pancre-

atic tumors

Arthropod bite

Nutritional (vitamin E deficiency: steatitis in cats)

Post injection: corticosteroids, vaccines (rabies, etc.), other subcutaneous

injections

Inflammatory: pancreatitis

Drug eruption

Thermal burns: heating pad injuries.

SIGNALMENT/HISTORY

 Sterile nodular panniculitis: Australian shepherd, Brittany spaniel, chihuahua, dal-

matian, dachshund and pomeranian are predisposed; collies and miniature poodles

are at risk.

 Age of onset: 3–6 years (dogs).

Blackwell’s Five-Minute Veterinary Consult Clinical Companion: Small Animal Dermatology, Third Edition.
Karen Helton Rhodes and Alexander H. Werner.
©2018 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Published 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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