panniculitis /pənik′yəlī″tis/ [L, panniculus, piece of cloth; Gk, itis, inflammation] , a chronic inflammation of subcutaneous fat in which the skin becomes hardened, particularly over the abdomen and thorax. Small subcutaneous masses of hard tissue are found in the affected areas. Some forms of the inflammation may be marked by the appearance of painless subcutaneous nodules on the lower extremities.
