LUPUS PANNICULITIS IN A 12 YEAR OLD BOY: A CASE REPORT.

Introduction: Lupus panniculitis, also known as Lupus profundus or subcutaneous Lupus erythematosus (LE), was first described by Kaposi in the year 1869. It is a small subset of all cutaneous LE which represents 2-3% of this group. It usually occurs in 3rd ? 4th decade but children can also develop lupus panniculitis. There is female preponderance with female: male ratio ranging from 2:1 to 4:1.1 Case report: A 12 year old boy presented with multiple painful , mildly erythematous to bluish coloured nodules over the face and upper arms, sparing the distal upper limbs for last six months. Cutaneous examination revealed multiple, mildly-tender, indurated erythematous to bluish coloured nodules over face & upper arms. ANA- 2.5 & anti-ds DNA- 200 IU/ml. Histopathological examination revealed mild pericapillary lymphocytic infiltration in dermis with deep subcutaneous fat showing moderatelymphohistiocytic cell infiltration with focal areas of necrosis and occasional ill-formed granulomas which was consistent with granulomatous panniculitis. Direct immunofluorescence (DIF) showed- deposits of IgG, IgM, IgA and C3 along the dermo-epidermal junction