CT imaging of head and neck lupus panniculitis

Abstract

Lupus panniculitis (LP) or lupus erythematosus profundus (LEP) is a lupus-associated dermatologic condition predominantly affecting young to middle-aged women in which the deep dermis and subcutaneous fat are mainly involved. The lesions are usually located on the forehead, cheeks, proximal aspect of the limbs, and buttocks, though cases have occasionally been reported with orbital, breast, and salivary gland involvement. Descriptions of imaging findings of LP are very scarce in the literature. We describe the CT scan imaging features of the case of a patient with head and neck LP.