The death of Erasmo Carlos, 81, this Tuesday (22nd) was attributed to “panniculitis complicated by sepsis of cutaneous origin” by the team at the Barra D’Or Hospital in Rio. The announcement was made by the artist’s family and team through the singer’s social networks, whose following will be closed to family and close friends.
At first, the loss was attributed to edema syndrome, a buildup of fluid that leaves the body edema and is actually just one of the symptoms of a more serious condition. Panniculitis, on the other hand, is a rare condition characterized by inflammation of the layer of fat that lies beneath the skin.
dr Natan Chehter, a geriatrician who is a member of the Brazilian Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology and the Beneficência Portuguesa Hospital in São Paulo, says the mechanisms that cause panniculitis are still poorly understood. “The reasons are usually related to an autoimmune disease or secondary reaction such as cancer, tuberculosis or diseases in which the immune system reacts inappropriately,” says the geriatrician.
Panniculitis can be triggered by external aggressors such as cancer or tuberculosis, but also by the reaction of the person’s own antibodies given by problems such as Crohn’s disease or some vasculitis. “Panniculitis has to do with the deregulation of the immune system. We know that some nodules form on the skin and can cause more serious cases of skin infection depending on the subtype of the disease,” Chehter emphasizes.
Tissue necrosis leads to the appearance of ulcers and skin lesions and, as in the case of Erasmo, can progress to a generalized infection called sepsis, which can lead to, among other things, organ failure in the patient. However, the illness, which led Erasmo to hospitalization and may have caused sepsis of cutaneous origin, has not been reported.
Recently awarded the Latin Grammy for Best Rock or Alternative Music Album in Portuguese in 2022 for the album “O Futuro Pertence à… Jovem Guarda” on the 17th, Erasmo has been hospitalized since October.
Earlier this month, two US shows were rescheduled (one in Orlando on the 4th, one in Miami on the 10th).
The medical team’s note released after the singer’s death states that he has been in the hospital since the 2nd with a severe case of panniculitis.
The geriatrician and intensive care physician Carla Núbia Nunes Borges, professor at the Catholic University of Pernambuco, says that the cause of panniculitis has been linked to autoimmune pathologies but also to trauma, surgery or neoplasms. “Some causes are simple, others are manifestations of a serious illness. The typical picture is sensitive and reddened nodes [vermelhos] most commonly in the arms and legs,” she says.
Panniculitis also results from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), inflammatory bowel disease, polyarteritis nodosa, and from situations of infection and injury. There is no direct prevention, and according to the professor, any lesion with these characteristics should be examined with a biopsy to confirm subcutaneous inflammation.
“The patient should seek immediate medical evaluation for diagnosis and treatment. Treatment includes evaluation of the affected area based on clinical condition. There is no specific treatment, and an arsenal of drugs can be used to reduce pain, inflammation, and infection,” reports Borges.
Chehter, in turn, points out that the singer’s case stems from an already aggravated condition and that, in general, anyone looking for some form of prevention needs to focus on health. The rather uncomfortable swellings of the edema syndrome, for example, are the end stage, but arise from a silent picture of vascular, heart, liver or kidney diseases.
“If you have diabetes, you have heart disease, you are obese and you smoke, you have the complete package. You need to see a doctor before you have symptoms. There are people who say, ‘I have diabetes and high cholesterol and I don’t feel anything.’ , it’s because she feels like it’s going beyond the point of treatment before a problem arises,” affirms the doctor.