[Cutaneous panarteritis nodosa: suggestion of diagnostic assessment for a benign disorder. 2 personal cases and review of the literature].

The diagnosis of cutaneous panarteritis nodosa, a local, isolated condition of good prognosis, requires the elimination of any systemic involvement. Two personal cases, together with a review of the literature, serve to demonstrate the benign nature of the condition, with the absence of systemic complications during a mean medical follow-up of 9 years. However, the condition is not entirely innocuous since it required the administration of corticosteroids in 71% of cases. The outcome was complete recovery in 32% of cases, and improvement or stabilisation in 51%, with no information provided in 16%. Complete recovery was obtained in the author's two cases: one spontaneously and one with corticosteroid therapy. The good prognosis justifies the suggestion of a relatively non-invasive diagnostic assessment. Medical follow-up is required if symptomatology persists or if steroids are prescribed, but is not necessary when there is complete recovery.