J Korean Soc Radiol.  2018 Jan;78(1):77-80. 10.3348/jksr.2018.78.1.77.

Subcutaneous Fat Necrosis of the Newborn: A Case Report

• Kim SH

• KMID: 2399310
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3348/jksr.2018.78.1.77

Abstract

Subcutaneous fat necrosis (SFN) in newborns is a rare disease that affects infants in the first few weeks after birth. The lesion involves the back, buttocks, thighs, arms, and cheeks and it appears as a subcutaneous nodule in firm, well-defined, purple-red manifestation. It is a self-limited disorder and follows an uncomplicated course, but serious complications may occur such as thrombocytopenia, hypoglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and hypercalcemia. I am reporting a case of ultrasonographic and MR imaging findings of SFN in a 35-day-old girl with hypercalcemia and medullary nephrocalcinosis.

MeSH Terms

Arm
Buttocks
Cheek
Fat Necrosis
Female
Humans
Hypercalcemia
Hypertriglyceridemia
Hypoglycemia
Infant
Infant, Newborn*
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Necrosis*
Nephrocalcinosis
Parturition
Rare Diseases
Subcutaneous Fat*
Thigh
Thrombocytopenia
Ultrasonography

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Subcutaneous fat necrosis of a newborn in a 35-day-old girl. A. Ultrasonography of the right buttock reveals lobulated, hyperechoic mass (arrows) in the subcutaneous layer separated from dermis. Similar findings are observed in the right cheek, submandibular area, shoulders, axilla, and back (not shown). B. No vascularity is detected on color Doppler ultrasonography. C. Renal ultrasonography reveals increased echogenicity of renal medulla, suggesting medullary nephrocalcinosis. D, E. Axial T1-weighted (D) and T2-weighted (E) pelvis MR images after eight days of ultrasonography reveal hyperintense lesions (arrows) compared with the muscle in the subcutaneous layer of buttocks and inguinal areas.

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