Patient's question:
Recently, many purplish-red nodules have appeared on my child's skin. They can be solitary or multiple, round or oval-shaped. The smaller ones are about the size of a peanut. Some people say this is subcutaneous fat necrosis of the newborn. Could you please explain how to differentiate subcutaneous fat necrosis of the newborn?Doctor's answer:
The differentiation of subcutaneous fat necrosis in newborns mainly involves the following two methods:Fungal histopathology: Fungal histopathology is a key diagnostic method for deep fungal infections. The identification of fungi in tissues marks the level of etiological diagnosis. Immunohistochemistry classifies fungi based on their antigenic properties. Tissue samples suspected of fungal infection are cultured, and examination methods such as microscopy are used. If fungi are not detected, the condition is considered normal.
Histopathology: The subcutaneous fat shows extensive inflammatory cell infiltration. The necrosis is composed of lymphocytes, epithelioid cells, and foreign-body giant cells. Needle-shaped clefts are present within the giant cells, arranged radially. Calcification is observed in the necrotic tissue.