Band-like Lipomatous Metaplasia of the Superficial Dermis and Nonseptate Subcutaneous Tissue: A Rare Histopathological Phenomenon With Ultrasonographic Correlation

Abstract

Lipomatous metaplasia of the upper dermis is a rare phenomenon scarcely described in the literature which has always been identified in the context of inflammatory or neoplastic processes. Microscopically, it should be distinguished from pseudolipomatosis cutis, dermal lipoma, nevus lipomatosus, and focal dermal hypoplasia (Goltz syndrome). This is the first report of the histologic and ultrasound evaluation of a patient with extensive involvement and the description of the coincidental finding of an anomalous nonseptate subcutaneous tissue.

Intradermal Band-like Lipomatous Metaplasia Can Be Associated With the Regression of Overlying Skin Neoplasms: A Clinicopathologic Study of 20 Cases

“…Interestingly, intradermal band-like lipomatous metaplasia has been reported in inflammatory skin conditions, such as psoriasis, 7 acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis associated with a long history of psoriasis, 8 and lichen simplex chronicus. 9 These cutaneous reactive diseases are known to be characterized by the occurrence of inflammation in the superficial dermis. Therefore, pathogenesis associated with long-standing, superficial inflammation has been commonly seen in both neoplastic skin disorders in our series and the above-mentioned inflammatory skin disorders.…”

“…5,6 Actually, this metaplastic change has been reported in a few inflammatory skin diseases, including psoriasis, 7 acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis associated with a long history of psoriasis, 8 and lichen simplex chronicus. 9 This phenomenon can also be seen in skin tumors, such as soft fibroma, folliculo-sebaceous cystic hamartoma, 10 melanocytic nevi, neurofibroma, apocrine type mixed tumor of the skin, 11 and trichodiscoma. 12 However, skin tumor-associated lipomatous metaplasia, which can also be seen as a band-like silhouette in the dermis under a superficial skin tumor is under-recognized.…”