Subcutaneous fat necrosis as a complication of whole-body cooling for birth asphyxia.
BACKGROUND
Subcutaneous fat necrosis (SCFN) of the newborn is a form of panniculitis that affects full-term neonates who often have suffered either birth asphyxia or hypothermia. The induction of hypothermia in newborns is becoming frequently used to reduce the neurologic sequelae associated with birth asphyxia. The risk of SCFN in neonates undergoing this therapy is unknown. Observation We describe a neonate who developed an abscess-like presentation of SCFN and subsequent asymptomatic hypercalcemia after undergoing whole-body cooling for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.


CONCLUSIONS
Hypothermia protocols may be placing newborns at increased risk for the development of SCFN. Clinicians should recognize this association, and newborns who undergo therapeutic cooling should have frequent dermatologic assessments.
Oza
Vikash
V
Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 34th Street and Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. ozav@email.chop.edu
Treat
James
J
Cook
Noah
N
Tetzlaff
Michael T
MT
Yan
Albert
A
D001238:Asphyxia Neonatorum / Q000628:therapy*; D005218:Fat Necrosis / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D020925:Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain / Q000628:therapy; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D050151:Subcutaneous Fat / Q000473:pathology