What are the types of pannus?
There are two forms of pannus – active (inflammatory) and fibro-vascular (degenerative); both types may be observed in contact lens wearers. An active pannus is avascular and is composed of sub-epithelial inflammatory cells.
Pannus is a type of extra growth in your joints that can cause pain, swelling, and damage to your bones, cartilage, and other tissue. It most often results from rheumatoid arthritis, an inflammatory disease that affects your joints, though other inflammatory diseases are also sometimes to blame.
Pannus appears as a grayish-pink film on the eye, and as the disease progresses, the cornea becomes opaque. It most often affects both eyes. While the exact causes that lead to pannus are not fully understood, there are some factors that can contribute to disease: Exposure to airborne irritants.
Panniculus, often incorrectly referred to as pannus, is a medical term describing a dense layer of fatty tissue, consisting of excess subcutaneous fat within the lower abdominal region.
Grade 2 fully covers the genitals. Grade 3 extends enough to cover the upper thigh. Grade 4 reaches down to the mid-thigh. Grade 5 covers the knees or even lower.
The term "pannus" is derived from the Latin for "tablecloth". Inflammation and exuberant proliferation of the synovium leads to formation of pannus and destruction of cartilage, bone, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels. Basically, the hypertrophied synovium is called pannus.
The abdominal pannus is the area of excess skin and fat that hangs over the pubic region. The pannus is often described as an apron of lower abdominal skin and fat. Occasionally, the pannus may contain a hernia. Often with weight gain and weight loss, there is an accumulation of residual fat in the lower abdomen.
Also known as a pannus stomach or mother's apron, apron belly occurs when the belly and fat surrounding the internal organs expands due to weight gain or pregnancy, resulting in additional fat deposits in the omentum (an apron-like flap under your abdominal muscles and in front of your intestines.)
Doctors will look for indications of pannus during diagnosis, checking for spongy or boggy joints. Early in the disease, pannus is most likely to develop in small joints, such as those in the hands, wrists, and feet. Pannus can also appear in other, larger joints, such as the knees and shoulders.
Pannus is a chronic progressive corneal disorder that cannot be cured. The therapeutic goal should be control and sometimes regression of the lesions so that blindness can be avoided.
How is pannus treated?
Treatment. The mainstay of treatment for Pannus is the routine application of topical anti-inflammatory medications, including steroids, cyclosporine, and/or tacrolimus. These drugs suppress the immune system locally to the eye. Treatment is initially aimed at reversing as much of the corneal changes as possible.
What is an apron belly? Pregnancy, weight loss, and weight gain can cause you to have an excessive amount of fat, tissue, and skin hanging down from your abdomen. Called “apron belly” because it looks like you're wearing an apron around your waist, it can also be referred to as a pannus stomach.

Visceral fat is belly fat found deep within your abdominal cavity. It surrounds important organs, including your stomach, liver and intestines. It's different than subcutaneous fat, which is fat just below your skin. Visceral fat is actually more dangerous to your health.
Visceral body fat, also known as 'hidden' fat, is fat stored deep inside the belly, wrapped around the organs, including the liver and intestines. It makes up about one tenth of all the fat stored in the body.
An abdominal pannus is classified using the following grading system: Grade 1: panniculus covers hairline and mons pubis but not the genitals. Grade 2: panniculus covers genitals and upper thigh crease. Grade 3: panniculus covers upper thigh. Grade 4: panniculus covers mid-thigh.
A panniculectomy is the surgical removal of stretched-out, overhanging skin and fat from the lower abdomen (such as the pannus or apron). The surgeon makes a horizontal incision above the pubic area between the hips. They may make another cut from the breast bone to the pelvic bone to remove the fat and extra skin.
Panniculectomy is usually for people who have lost 100 lbs or more relatively quickly and when you have a BMI of less than 30.
Start with a mix of moderate and vigorous exercise to burn off menopausal weight gain. Your routine should include aerobic exercises like swimming, walking, bicycling, and running, as well as resistance or strength training. “What you want to employ now is high-intensity interval training (HIIT),” Dr. Peeke says.
If you eat too much and exercise too little, you're likely to carry excess weight — including belly fat. Also, your muscle mass might diminish slightly with age, while fat increases.
Pannus, also known as Chronic Superficial Keratitis, is inflammation of the cornea. It is not painful but will affect your dog's vision. If Pannus is left untreated, it can be blinding. Pannus occurs mainly in German Shepherds, but it can occur in other breeds.
Can you prevent pannus?
Keeping the dog indoor during the sunniest part of the day; providing a doghouse shelter; or trying a specialty pair of canine sunglasses called RexSpecs may prove very helpful. Since Pannus is an immune mediated disease, it is managed by treatment but not cured. Ongoing treatment for life is needed to maintain vision.
Objective: Pannus in osteoarthritis (OA) has only recently been characterized. Little is known, however, regarding the behavior of OA pannus in vitro compared to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pannus.
Pannus is a complication of late-stage rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It occurs when a layer of fibrous tissue grows over the surface of a normal structure in your body. In RA, it's an overgrowth of the synovium (joint lining) that invades and covers the space between bones and articular cartilage inside a joint.
A cervical pannus can be life threatening if not detected and treated properly. There is no clear definition for cervical pannus.
Sadly, there's no cure for pannus – but the good news is that it's a treatable disease. Vets most commonly prescribe eye drops, such as dexamethasone, prednisolone, or cyclosporine, to treat it. The earlier you catch this condition, the less chance there is for scar tissue or severe impairment to occur.
Pannus, also known as chronic superficial keratitis, is an eye disease that can result in blindness if it is not treated.
In plastic surgery, the pannus usually refers to the abdominal pannus. The abdominal pannus is the area of excess skin and fat that hangs over the pubic region. The pannus is often described as an apron of lower abdominal skin and fat. Occasionally, the pannus may contain a hernia.
Deep stromal neovascularization develops insidiously, usually in an already compromised cornea (e.g. keratoconus), and may also progress in the absence of acute symptoms. A pannus is a thick plexus of vessels typically observed at the superior limbus.
Pannus is a complication of late-stage rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It occurs when a layer of fibrous tissue grows over the surface of a normal structure in your body. In RA, it's an overgrowth of the synovium (joint lining) that invades and covers the space between bones and articular cartilage inside a joint.
What is an apron belly? Pregnancy, weight loss, and weight gain can cause you to have an excessive amount of fat, tissue, and skin hanging down from your abdomen. Called “apron belly” because it looks like you're wearing an apron around your waist, it can also be referred to as a pannus stomach.
What is lower belly fat called?
Visceral fat is belly fat found deep within your abdominal cavity. It surrounds important organs, including your stomach, liver and intestines. It's different than subcutaneous fat, which is fat just below your skin.
A pannus is a membrane of granulation tissue composed of mesenchyme- and bone marrow-derived cells. Formation of the pannus stimulates the release of IL-1, platelet-derived growth factor, prostaglandins, and substance P by macrophages, which ultimately cause cartilage destruction and bone erosion.
It can be slowly progressive, although does appear to develop more rapidly in younger (2-4 years of age) dogs. What causes pannus? The cause of pannus of not clearly understood, but it is thought to be an immune- mediated disease.
Iris neovascularization is the term for new and abnormal blood vessel growth on the iris of your eye. Another name for this condition is rubeosis iridis. It's related to a type of glaucoma called neovascular glaucoma.
Treatment. The mainstay of treatment for Pannus is the routine application of topical anti-inflammatory medications, including steroids, cyclosporine, and/or tacrolimus. These drugs suppress the immune system locally to the eye. Treatment is initially aimed at reversing as much of the corneal changes as possible.
Diagnosis of Pannus (Chronic Superficial Keratitis) in Dogs
Your dog's eyes may be tested by corneal staining to determine the depth and damage of the disease. But most diagnosis is done on the appearance of your dog's eye.
A panniculectomy surgically removes a pannus. A pannus is excess skin and adipose (fatty) tissue, sometimes referred to as an apron, that hangs down over the genitals and/or thighs. The University of Michigan is a nationally recognized leader in reconstructive surgery.