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Panniculitis & Appendagitis

Panniculitis and appendagitis are both afflictions involving inflammation. Panniculitis is an inflammation of the fat layer under the skin. Appendagitis--more commonly called by its full scientific name, epiploic appendagitis--is an inflammation of the epiploic appendices, which are small fat pockets located near the colon and rectum. Both are fairly uncommon diseases.

  1. Misdiagnosis

    • Occasionally, doctors misdiagnose epiploic appendagitis as a form of panniculitis called mesenteric panniculitis--a rare form of the disease distinguished by a tumor-like expansion in the abdomen. Because epiploic appendagitis also involves an inflammation in the lower abdomen, the two diseases can be confused for each another. However, aside from an infrequent misdiagnosis, these two diseases are separate, distinguishable and rarely discussed together.

    Causes and Symptoms of Panniculitis

    • Panniculitis arises in two forms. Exposure to coldness on a local area (such as use of an ice pack) causes cold panniculitis, in which ice crystals form under the skin. Cold panniculitis occurs more often in children than adults.

      Systemic panniculitis, on the other hand, is an exacerbation of a systemic disease such as lupus, lymphoma, or pancreatic cancer. Patients with such systemic diseases more easily contract panniculitis. Oily fat nodules on the body are the trademark symptom of both types of panniculitis. Some panniculitis sufferers also experience fever, abdominal pain and a malfunctioning liver.

    Treatment of Panniculitis

    • No perfect treatment exists for panniculitis. Doctors usually prescribe anti-inflammatory medicine, though it rarely cures the disease. In patients afflicted with a systemic disease and panniculitis, the most common treatment is chemotherapy in combination with anti-inflammatory medicine.

    Causes and Symptoms of Appendagitis

    • Though the medical community does not know the precise cause of appendagitis, many doctors say that strenuous exercise is a probable cause. Exercise can stress the epiploic appendix, which may lead to appendagitis. The primary symptom is localized, sharp pain on one side of the abdomen. Doctors generally diagnose the disease via an ultrasound or computerized tomography (CT) scan.

    Treatment of Appendagitis

    • Epiploic appendagitis is generally benign, though some patients receive laparoscopic surgery to ensure that rare complications do not arise. Surgery, in combination with anti-inflammatory drugs, is highly effective treatment. A 2007 German study found that all test patients had no recurrence of symptoms within one year of treatment.

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