title: Treatment of pyoderma gangrenosum with granulocyte and monocyte adsorption apheresis.
abstract: Pyoderma gangrenosum is an intractable skin disorder characterized by the development of erythematous pustules or nodules that rapidly progress to destructive, necrotizing, non-infective ulcers. We assessed the efficacy of granulocyte and monocyte adsorption apheresis (GCAP) therapy in two new patients, a 67-year-old man with ulcerations on his lower leg, and a 44-year-old man with turgid erythematous lesions with burrowing abscesses and sinus formation on his hip, groin, and thighs. Both patients received 10 GCAP treatments at 5-day intervals. Their skin lesions responded well. The 9 cmx6 cm ulcer on the lower right leg of the 67-year-old patient was completely covered by regenerated skin at the completion of therapy. The turgid skin lesions containing pustules and ulcers of the other patient showed amelioration and a marked decrease in the volume of exudate. Our results suggest that GCAP is a useful treatment modality for pyoderma gangrenosum.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima, Japan. takurok@m2.kufm.kagoshima-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Takuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanekura
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawahara
authors.forename: Ikuro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Maruyama
authors.forename: Tamotsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanzaki
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001781:Blood Component Removal / Q000379:methods*; D002081:Buttocks; D006098:Granulocytes; D006801:Humans; D007871:Leg Ulcer / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D009000:Monocytes; D017511:Pyoderma Gangrenosum / Q000628:therapy*