title: [Eosinophilic fasciitis: report of 3 cases].
abstract: Eosinophilic fasciitis (EF) is a scleroderma-like disease of unknown etiology characterized by cutaneous swelling and induration that affects predominantly the extremities, elevated immune globulins, and peripheral eosinophilia. We report three patients with clinical, laboratory and pathologic characteristics of EF. The main symptoms were cutaneous and included "peau d' orange", groove signs and induration of the affected extremities. Two patients had skin changes after exercising and one had a hypothyroidism. None had extra-cutaneous manifestations. All patients had peripheral eosinophilia. Pathologic findings were thickening and inflammation of the fascia and normal epidermis. Only one patient was treated with prednisone 30 mg daily and showed only moderate improvement. There is no follow up information about the other two cases. EF is a rare disorder classified at times as scleroderma variants. However, its clinical picture, capillary microscopy findings, pathology and prognosis differentiate it from systemic sclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Departamentos de Inmunología Clínica y Reumatología de Anatomía Patológica, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Departamento de Reumatología, Universidad de Los Andes.
authors.forename: Ximena
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Velásquez
authors.forename: Miguel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez
authors.forename: Helmar
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Figueroa
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bronstein
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jacobelli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000473:pathology*; D005208:Fasciitis / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged