Lipodystrophia centrifugalis abdominalis infantilis.

AIM: To describe the clinical features of lipodystrophia centrifugalis abdominalis infantilis (LCAI) with special attention to the erythema which is seen around the depressed lesion.

BACKGROUND

LCAI is a rare disorder which occurs mainly in Asian people, particularly in Japanese; it usually begins as an erythematous macule which subsequently expands centrifugally and leaves a central depression. However, the erythema has been seldom documented in detail. We here report a case of LCAI observed from its early stage and review the literature.

CASE REPORT: A 2-year-old Japanese girl was brought to our out-patient clinic. Clinical examination revealed a slight depression surrounded by faint erythema that mimicked morphea on her left inguinum, but there was no hardening of the skin. The erythema disappeared 5 months after onset. Thereafter, the lipodystrophy expanded irrespective of the treatment to her right inguinum and lower abdomen.

CONCLUSIONS

The depression continues to grow without the erythema in most patients. This suggests that the erythema is not necessary for enlargement of the depression although it precedes the depression in most patients.