Necrobiosis lipoidica of the glans penis.

Necrobiosis lipoidica (NL) is a distinctive chronic inflammatory disease typified microscopically by dermal and/ or subcutaneous palisades of histiocytes surrounding a zone of degenerated collagen. It is therefore a so-called "necrobiotic" granulomatous condition. Though its cause is unknown, two in three patients with NL have diabetes. NL is typically characterised by brownish-yellow ovoid plaques on pretibial skin, with an irregular indurated violaceous contour and a yellow atrophic central area. Thirty percent of cases ulcerate due to minor trauma (1 ).