title: Pyoderma gangrenosum after lower extremity bypass.
abstract: A 66-year-old male with lower extremity ischemia underwent femoral-posterior tibial bypass with composite vein graft from the arm. Ten days later, he presented to the emergency department with pain, wound erythema, and drainage. Despite a prolonged course of intravenous antibiotics and serial operative debridements, the wound edges repeatedly necrosed after each procedure. The vein graft remained viable. Punch biopsies of wound edges were consistent with pyoderma gangrenosum (PG). The patient's condition improved on immunosuppressive therapy. Although a rare clinical entity, postsurgical PG is a well-described phenomenon whose diagnosis is often delayed. Clinical suspicion is imperative to ensure timely treatment and minimize morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Weill-Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Alyssa J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Reiffel
authors.forename: Jason A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Spector
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Karwowski
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001706:Biopsy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003646:Debridement; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007511:Ischemia / Q000601:surgery*; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D017511:Pyoderma Gangrenosum / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014680:Veins / Q000637:transplantation
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents