eMedicine Specialties > Rheumatology > Systemic Rheumatic Disease

Eosinophilic Fasciitis: Multimedia

Author: Peter M Henning, DO, MAJ, MC, Fellow, Department of Rheumatology, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC
Coauthor(s): George R Mount, MD, MAJ USA MC, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences; Attending Physician, Department of Rheumatology, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC; Nicholas David Kortan, DO, CPT, MC,, Resident Physician, Department of Internal Medicine, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC; Sherif Nasef, MD, Consulting Staff, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Lake Havasu Regional Medical Center; Kristine M Lohr, MD, MS, Program Director, Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Women's Health, University of Kentucky School of Medicine
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Oct 2, 2009

Multimedia

The arm of this patient demonstrates the puckered...
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Media file 1: The arm of this patient demonstrates the puckered, so-called orange-peel or cobblestone skin that may occur in eosinophilic fasciitis.
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The arm of this patient demonstrates the puckered...

The arm of this patient demonstrates the puckered, so-called orange-peel or cobblestone skin that may occur in eosinophilic fasciitis.

The skin of the patient's back appears shiny due ...
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Media file 2: The skin of the patient's back appears shiny due to the stretched dermis overlying an inflamed fascia. Mild diffuse hyperpigmentation is present, along with a U-shaped area of hypopigmentation extending approximately from T10 to L4.
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The skin of the patient's back appears shiny due ...

The skin of the patient's back appears shiny due to the stretched dermis overlying an inflamed fascia. Mild diffuse hyperpigmentation is present, along with a U-shaped area of hypopigmentation extending approximately from T10 to L4.

The skin of the abdomen and breasts is shiny and ...
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Media file 3: The skin of the abdomen and breasts is shiny and taut. The thigh reveals puckering or cobblestoning of the overlying dermis due to scattered retraction from scarred fascia.
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The skin of the abdomen and breasts is shiny and ...

The skin of the abdomen and breasts is shiny and taut. The thigh reveals puckering or cobblestoning of the overlying dermis due to scattered retraction from scarred fascia.

Eosinophilic fasciitis. Top: In this gross specim...
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Media file 4: Eosinophilic fasciitis. Top: In this gross specimen, the dermis (A), subcutaneous adipose tissue (B), and skeletal muscle do not appear unusual. However, the fascia (D) is markedly thickened. Bottom left: The gross findings are recapitulated in this low-power photomicrograph. The epidermis, dermis (A), and subcutaneous adipose tissue are not remarkable in this case. The fascia (D) is markedly thickened and focally infiltrated by inflammatory cells (E). The small amount of skeletal muscle (C) appears normal (hematoxylin and eosin stain at low power). Bottom right: A close-up photograph of a portion of the fascia showing mostly edematous cellular connective tissue (F). It is focally infiltrated by inflammatory cells, including lymphocytes, plasma cells, and histiocytes. The more intensely stained hypocellular pink bands across the top of the field (G) are part of an interstitial exudate of fibrin (hematoxylin and eosin stain at medium power).
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Eosinophilic fasciitis. Top: In this gross specim...

Eosinophilic fasciitis. Top: In this gross specimen, the dermis (A), subcutaneous adipose tissue (B), and skeletal muscle do not appear unusual. However, the fascia (D) is markedly thickened. Bottom left: The gross findings are recapitulated in this low-power photomicrograph. The epidermis, dermis (A), and subcutaneous adipose tissue are not remarkable in this case. The fascia (D) is markedly thickened and focally infiltrated by inflammatory cells (E). The small amount of skeletal muscle (C) appears normal (hematoxylin and eosin stain at low power). Bottom right: A close-up photograph of a portion of the fascia showing mostly edematous cellular connective tissue (F). It is focally infiltrated by inflammatory cells, including lymphocytes, plasma cells, and histiocytes. The more intensely stained hypocellular pink bands across the top of the field (G) are part of an interstitial exudate of fibrin (hematoxylin and eosin stain at medium power).

More on Eosinophilic Fasciitis

Overview: Eosinophilic Fasciitis
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Eosinophilic Fasciitis
Treatment & Medication: Eosinophilic Fasciitis
Follow-up: Eosinophilic Fasciitis
Multimedia: Eosinophilic Fasciitis
References
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Further Reading

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Keywords

eosinophilic fasciitis, EF, eosinophilia, scleroderma, systemic sclerosis, elevated sedimentation rate, elevated ESR, hypergammaglobulinemia, fascial thickening, hematologic disease, Shulman syndrome, Shulman's syndrome, peripheral eosinophilia, fasciitis, fibrosing disorders, diffuse fasciitis with eosinophilia

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Peter M Henning, DO, MAJ, MC, Fellow, Department of Rheumatology, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC
Peter M Henning, DO, MAJ, MC is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Physicians
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

George R Mount, MD, MAJ USA MC, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences; Attending Physician, Department of Rheumatology, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC
George R Mount, MD, MAJ USA MC is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American College of Physicians, American College of Rheumatology, and Phi Beta Kappa
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Nicholas David Kortan, DO, CPT, MC,, Resident Physician, Department of Internal Medicine, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC
Nicholas David Kortan, DO, CPT, MC, is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Physicians
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Sherif Nasef, MD, Consulting Staff, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Lake Havasu Regional Medical Center
Sherif Nasef, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Physicians, American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine, American College of Rheumatology, and American Medical Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Kristine M Lohr, MD, MS, Program Director, Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Women's Health, University of Kentucky School of Medicine
Kristine M Lohr, MD, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Physicians, American College of Rheumatology, and American Medical Women's Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

John Varga, MD, Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Northwestern University
John Varga, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Physicians, American College of Rheumatology, Central Society for Clinical Research, and Society for Investigative Dermatology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: eMedicine Salary Employment

Managing Editor

Lawrence H Brent, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University; Chair, Program Director, Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Albert Einstein Medical Center
Lawrence H Brent, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Association of Immunologists, American College of Physicians, and American College of Rheumatology
Disclosure: Genentech Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Genentech Grant/research funds Other; Amgen Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Wyeth Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Abbott Immunology Honoraria Speaking and teaching

CME Editor

Alex J Mechaber, MD, FACP, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education, Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Alex J Mechaber, MD, FACP is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine, and Society of General Internal Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Herbert S Diamond, MD, Professor of Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine; Chairman Emeritus, Department of Internal Medicine, Western Pennsylvania Hospital
Herbert S Diamond, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American College of Physicians, American College of Rheumatology, American Medical Association, and Phi Beta Kappa
Disclosure: medifocus Honoraria Review panel membership; health dialogs Honoraria Consulting; West Penn Allegheny Health System None Board membership

 
 
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