title: Involvement of brown adipose tissue in subcutaneous fat necrosis of the newborn.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Subcutaneous fat necrosis (SCFN) of the newborn is a rare condition that manifests within days after birth. The interscapular region, axillae and shoulders are the most commonly affected sites, corresponding to anatomic sites of brown adipose tissue (BAT) in newborns.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We postulated a specific involvement of BAT in SCFN and searched for brown adipocytes at affected sites.
  
  
  METHODS
  Biopsy specimens were immunostained with antibodies against uncoupling protein 1 (UCP-1) and examined by electron microscopy. We also examined BAT by (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET-CT) scanning.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A few cells in biopsy specimens from two patients bound antibodies against UCP-1, and brown adipocytes were detected at several stages of degeneration. PET-CT scans revealed lower uptake of (18)F-FDG at major sites of SCFN.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SCFN and BAT can be found at the same sites, suggesting a pathophysiological connection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Oita Prefectural Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Idaigaoka 1-1, Hasama-machi, Yufu City, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ichimiya
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arakawa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chiba
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Soma
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mizoguchi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tomonari
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iwasaka
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hatano
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
mesh_terms: D002001:Adipose Tissue, Brown / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005218:Fat Necrosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000276:immunology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D050151:Subcutaneous Fat / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1
chemical_list: D007473:Ion Channels; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; C000604371:UCP1 protein, human; D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18