Subcutaneous fat necrosis of the newborn with eosinophilic granules.

Subcutaneous fat necrosis (SFN) of the newborn is a variant of lobular panniculitis characterized by focal areas of fat necrosis and a granulomatous infiltrate composed of lymphocytes, histiocytes and multinucleated giant cells. Lipocytes and histiocytes contain needle-shaped clefts in a radial arrangement. Needle-shaped clefts may also be seen within the cytoplasm of multinucleated giant cells.(1-3) We present an unusual example of SFN showing multinucleated giant cells laced with eosinophilic granules. These eosinophilic granules are believed to be released from surrounding degranulating eosinophils.