BACKGROUND: Pyoderma gangrenosum is an ulcerative disease of the skin of unknown cause and generally associated to systemic illnesses. It requires an aggressive systemic therapy and there is little information about its long term evolution. AIM: To report the clinical features of patients with pyoderma gangrenosum. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eleven patients (10 female) aged 27 to 81 years old with pyoderma gangrenosum are reported. All had a pathological study. Patients were followed up for a mean of 60 months. RESULTS: The lesions were located in the lower limbs in 8 patients. Pathological study showed neutrophyl infiltrates in nine patients. Three patients had inflammatory bowel disease [corrected]. During the follow up, the disease recurred in multiple occasions, in six patients, after treatment with steroids or sulphones, and one patient has had permanently active lesions. CONCLUSIONS: Pyoderma gangrenosum appears mostly in the lower limbs and has a high recurrence rate.
BACKGROUND:Pyoderma gangrenosum is an ulcerative disease of the skin of unknown cause and generally associated to systemic illnesses. It requires an aggressive systemic therapy and there is little information about its long term evolution. AIM: To report the clinical features of patients with pyoderma gangrenosum. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eleven patients (10 female) aged 27 to 81 years old with pyoderma gangrenosum are reported. All had a pathological study. Patients were followed up for a mean of 60 months. RESULTS: The lesions were located in the lower limbs in 8 patients. Pathological study showed neutrophyl infiltrates in nine patients. Three patients had inflammatory bowel disease [corrected]. During the follow up, the disease recurred in multiple occasions, in six patients, after treatment with steroids or sulphones, and one patient has had permanently active lesions. CONCLUSIONS:Pyoderma gangrenosum appears mostly in the lower limbs and has a high recurrence rate.