Subcutaneous fat necrosis of the newborn and lactic acidosis.

Subcutaneous fat necrosis of the newborn (SFN) is an uncommon, self-limited condition of neonates and infants. However, hypercalcemia may be a potentially life-threatening complication of the otherwise self-healing process. Rare complications such as thrombocytopenia, hypertriglyceridemia, hypoglycemia, calcium deposits in the liver, inferior vena cava, atrial septum of the heart, and nephrocalcinosis have been reported. To our knowledge, this is the first description of a patient in whom lactic acidosis was encountered in an infant along with the other known complications of SFN.