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Pannus is a medical term for a hanging flap of tissue. When involving the abdomen, it is called a panniculus and consists of skin, fat, and sometimes contents of the internal abdomen as part of a hernia. A pannus can be the result of loose hanging tissues after pregnancy or weight loss. It can also be the result of obesity. A pannus can come in many different sizes and shapes and can become very large, even hanging down below the knees. The extra tissue of a hanging pannus can make personal hygiene difficult. Skin conditions such as yeast infections under the pannus are common problems. A massive hanging pannus can get in the way of walking. A smaller pannus can be an annoyance with clothing as the individual sits or stands. Pannus can be removed by plastic surgery operation called a panniculectomy (which is a type of tummy tuck).
In people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, pannus tissue eventually forms in the joint affected by the disease, causing loss of bone and cartilage. "Chronic stages of the disease typically coincide with the formation of a structure known as a pannus. 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." Autoimmunity and Disease Harley Y. Tse and Michail K. Shaw
In ophthalmology, "pannus" refers to the growth of blood vessels into the peripheral cornea. In normal individuals, the cornea is avascular. Chronic local hypoxia (such as that occurring with overuse of contact lenses) or inflammation may lead to peripheral corneal vascularization, or pannus. Pannus may also develop in diseases of the corneal stem cells, such as aniridia. It is often solved by peritomy.