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Pyoderma gangrenosum is a chronic ulcerative inflammatory skin disease. The condition is often associated with inflammatory bowel disease. We report three patients with pyoderma gangrenosum successfully treated with cyclosporin. There were difficulties in establishing the diagnosis, and antibiotics, surgical excisions and different wound dressings had been used without effect.
Pyoderma gangrenosum is an uncommon skin disorder characterised by deep ulcers surrounded by a violaceous over-hanging edge. Although in many instances there is no clear association with any underlying disease, pyoderma gangrenosum has been described in ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, polyarthritis, diabetes mellitus and myeloma. Pyoderma gangrenosum may also be seen as a rare manifestation of myeloproliferative disease including leukaemia. In children, as in our case, it may be the presenting feature.
Although pyoderma gangrenosum is a disorder known since over 70 years, it still remains a diagnostic and therapeutic problem. We describe three subjects with pyoderma gangrenosum; two were females, one was male, one case was associated with colitis ulcerosa, two were without any related disorders. Histopathologic examinations supported the diagnosis in all cases. In spite of intensive topical and systemic treatment with corticosteroids, Dapsone, Clofazimine, no sufficient effects were achieved. Cyclosporin A introduced in the dose of 5 mg/kg/d resulted in dramatic response and complete remission. Serum CyA levels, biochemical parameters of liver and kidney function, blood pressure were monitored during the therapy. No adverse events due to Cyclosporin A were observed.
Pyoderma gangrenosum may occur in unusual sites and not be readily recognized. Delays in diagnosis and appropriate treatment may result in extensive ulcerations and scarring. We present two patients with pyoderma gangrenosum involving the breasts after breast operation. Delays in diagnosis resulted in extensive ulcerations and scarring of the breasts.
The records of eight patients with pyoderma gangrenosum and monoclonal gammopathy showed that all patients except one had an IgA paraproteinemia. To date, seven patients have had a benign course and multiple myeloma has developed in one. In seven patients, the onset of the pyoderma gangrenosum preceded the detection of the monoclonal gammopathy. The monoclonal gammopathy did not seem to influence the morphologic findings, course, or therapy of the pyoderma gangrenosum. In the one patient with myeloma, treatment of the myeloma caused accelerated healing of the skin lesions.
OBJECTIVE: To describe a patient with treatment-refractory pyoderma gangrenosum and the outcome of a novel therapeutic approach. METHODS: Case report and review of the literature. RESULTS: A patient with inflammatory bowel disease developed severe pyoderma gangrenosum while receiving treatment with the chimeric anti-TNF-alpha antibody infliximab. Despite subsequent trials of numerous immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory medications, the dermatologic disease progressed. The patient's ulcers finally resolved when treatment with adalimumab, a fully humanized monoclonal antibody specific for TNF-alpha, was initiated. CONCLUSIONS: We report a novel application of the TNF-alpha inhibitor, adalimumab, in the treatment of pyoderma gangrenosum.
Pyoderma gangrenosum is an extraintestinal manifestation of inflammatory bowel disease that can be therapeutically troublesome. We comment on the case of a patient with clinically inactive ulcerative colitis who progressively developed necrotic lesions on both tibial aspects of his legs, which corresponded both clinically and histologically to pyoderma gangrenosum. Treatment with steroids and azathioprine could not control this complication. A single dose of infliximab 5 mg/kg was given, achieving an impressive response of the skin lesions followed by complete healing 3 months later. Infliximab can be useful in the management of refractory extraintestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease.
This article reports 6 cases of pyoderma gangrenosum of either acute or chronic clinical type. Etiologically, we found that minor local trauma could induce ulcerative and destructive lesions, with typical pyoderma gangrenosum features following in 4 cases. All the patients responded well to systemic corticosteroids. In comparison with cases reported in other countries, no systemic diseases (including ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease and polyarthritis) were found in our series. Cultures taken from early pustular lesions were sterile. Histopathological examination showed heavy neutrophilic infiltration in the dermis, and no evidence of vasculitis was found in the biopsies. Immunological investigations revealed no specific reactions in our cases.
This report describes a patient with extensive pyoderma gangrenosum in whom there were co-existent lung abnormalities. The patient's X-ray showed peripherally sited multiple pulmonary lesions bilaterally. A lung biopsy showed chronic non-specific inflammatory changes with neutrophil and lymphocyte infiltration which were similar to the skin lesions. This case was diagnosed as multiple aseptic nodules in pyoderma gangrenosum. The pulmonary infiltrative shadows were controlled only with prednisolone treatment. Steroid therapy is considered to be the first choice to control pulmonary lesions of this disease.
PURPOSE: To report on a patient with a clinical presentation of annular crystalline keratopathy after immunoglobulin therapy for pyoderma gangrenosum. METHODS: Case report of a 6-year-old boy with biopsy-proven history of pyoderma gangrenosum who had undergone several cycles of systemic immunoglobulin therapy. The literature on ocular manifestations associated with pyoderma gangrenosum was reviewed. RESULTS: One year after the last cycle, the patient complained of the sudden onset of photophobia. Slit-lamp biomicroscopy revealed bilateral symmetric crystalline deposits in an annular region of the cornea. Because visual acuity was not reduced, specific therapy was not initiated. Symptoms could be reduced by the prescription of medical edged filter lenses. CONCLUSIONS: Annular crystalline corneal deposits may be associated with immunoglobulin therapy or represent a hitherto unknown ocular complication of pyoderma gangrenosum.
Pyoderma gangrenosum is a rare, destructive, neutrophilic dermatosis, the origin of which remains largely obscure. The ulcerative variant of this inflammatory disorder causes painful, necrotic, rapidly enlarging ulcers. Because of pathergy, many clinicians avoid managing these nonhealing ulcers with aggressive surgical debridement and autologous grafts. This article proposes that the application of an allogeneic cultured human skin equivalent (Graftskin) not only circumvents this problem, but also hastens re-epithelialization of the ulcer bed. An added benefit of the possible improvement of the cosmetic appearance of the final scar by preventing severe wound contracture is also postulated. We report a newly diagnosed case of ulcerative pyoderma gangrenosum; the use of bioengineered skin as an adjunct to concurrent immunosuppressive therapy with cyclosporine hastened the healing and diminished pain in a rapidly enlarging leg ulcer. Within 2 weeks, the ulcer was 30% to 40% healed, achieving 100% re-epithelialization within 6 weeks.
Pyoderma gangrenosum is a neutrophilic dermatosis of unknown aetiology. Visceral involvement by pyoderma gangrenosum is rare, the lung being the most frequent site of extracutaneous disease. We describe a 73-year-old man with pyoderma gangrenosum and chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia in whom aseptic hepatosplenic abscesses and bony lesions were associated.
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: Rare cause of cutaneous ulceration, pyoderma gangrenosum is among the group of neutrophilic dermatites characterized by the richness of the mature neutrophilic polynuclear dermal infiltrate. The primary lesion is a pustule sitting on an inflammatory base; extremely painful, it rapidly ulcerates. The lesion rapidly extends to more than 10 cm in diameter, has a regular, sharp border and a peripheral roll of flesh exhibiting purulent channels on the inside and a red granulous surface often covered with a pustular coating. Little is known of this disease. CONCOMITANT AFFECTIONS: In more than 50% of cases, pyoderma gangrenosum is associated with other diseases, which must be systematically searched for. These may be digestive, essentially inflammatory enterocolitis with frequent development of peristomal ulceration, rheumatismal affections notably rheumatoid arthritis, hematological affections (benign monoclonal gammapathy, chronic myeloid hemopathy). FROM A PARACLINICAL POINT OF VIEW: There are no specific examinations. A cutaneous biopsy should be performed in all cases, notably to eliminate other causes of ulceration. Since concomitant disease can be subsequently revealed, it is essential to renew the paraclinical investigations, even after the disease has healed. NO CODIFIED TREATMENT: Treatment of the cause, if it can be cured, may be sufficient to permit regression of the lesions. Local treatments to provoke budding and hence avoid surinfection are mandatory. In the progressive and extensive forms, systemic treatment, notably high dose corticosteroids, is indicated. Surgery, a priori, is excluded.
Malignant pyoderma is a rapidly progressive ulcerating process of unknown origin that predominantly affects the head and neck of young adults. Malignant pyoderma has been considered distinct from pyoderma gangrenosum because of the predominant head and neck location of the ulcers and because the ulcers lack undermining and surrounding erythema. A case of a 22-year-old woman with a severe ulcerative process predominantly affecting the head and neck is described. A review of the literature indicates that malignant pyoderma and pyoderma gangrenosum are almost certainly identical disorders.
We report here a very rare case of intestinal Behcet's disease with pyoderma gangrenosum. A 16-year-old woman who was diagnosed with intestinal Behcet's disease by the presence of cutaneous pathergy together with two major criteria (oral and genital aphthoses) and one minor criterion (gastrointestinal manifestations), was referred to our hospital with a left lower leg ulcer and abdominal pain in September 1989. Colonoscopy demonstrated flare-up colitis involving the entire colon. Her lower leg lesion was a painful destructive ulcer with an irregular margin and a ragged overhanging edge. Based on these clinical and laboratory findings, we diagnosed her cutaneous ulcer as pyoderma gangrenosum developing with exacerbated intestinal Behcet's disease. Her cutaneous and intestinal lesions were poorly controlled though she received oral prednisolone treatment for a month. Because of aggravated abdominal symptoms with peritoneal irritation, we performed total colectomy in November 1989. The resected specimen was histologically compatible with intestinal Behcet's disease showing severe inflammation with deep ulcerations and neutrophil accumulation. Subsequently, pyoderma gangrenosum rapidly improved. This clinical course may suggest the close relationship between pyoderma gangrenosum and intestinal Behcet's disease.
The term peripheral ulcerative keratitis represents a spectrum of inflammatory diseases, characterized by cellular infiltration, corneal thinning, and ulceration. Neutrophilic dermatoses are rarely associated with peripheral ulcerative keratitis. To date, peripheral ulcerative keratitis has only been reported in patients with pyoderma gangrenosum. Separate episodes of pyoderma gangrenosum, Sweet's syndrome, and pustular vasculitis developed in a 60-year-old patient with rheumatoid arthritis over an 8-year period. Over the past 2 years, 3 episodes of peripheral ulcerative keratitis occurred. Cyclosporine (4 mg/kg/d) treatment was started on confirmation of pyoderma gangrenosum. Over the ensuing 2 years, it became evident that the activity of her ocular and skin diseases, as well as her arthritis, paralleled the administration or cessation of cyclosporine therapy. Dermatologists should be aware of the association of Sweet's syndrome, pyoderma gangrenosum, and pustular vasculitis with peripheral ulcerative keratitis. This rare ocular manifestation and the serious sequelae when left untreated make recognition crucial. Cyclosporine proved to be a very effective treatment for all of our patient's diseases.
Since its description 50 years ago, pyoderma gangrenosum has continued to capture the attention and imagination of all those who see its dramatic presentation. Clinical observation still provides the only reliable diagnosis. As investigative techniques increase, more and more intriguing immunologic abnormalities associated with this disorder are discovered, but understanding of the pathogenesis remains elusive. It is now recognized as an independent condition as well as a co-condition with many systemic disorders. Many new treatment options are available, allowing much individualization of treatment. For now, pyoderma gangrenosum remains an impressive, relatively easily recognized, but poorly understood disease.
Two patients with recalcitrant pyoderma gangrenosum were treated with oral cyclosporin A (5 mg/kg body-weight/day). Healing of the lesions was achieved in Patient 1 within 1 month of starting treatment, but new areas of ulceration appeared when the dose was reduced to 3 mg/kg body-weight/day. The ulcers showed marked improvement by 3 weeks after the start of treatment in Patient 2 and remained inactive at a maintenance dosage of 100 mg/day, but there was no change in the associated seronegative arthritis. A steroid-sparing effect of CyA was evident in both patients. It is suggested that a lower dose of cyclosporin A than doses used previously in the treatment of pyoderma gangrenosum may be equally effective.