title: Treatment of postsurgical pyoderma gangrenosum with a high-potency topical steroid.
abstract: Pyoderma gangrenosum is a rare disease characterized by chronic, nonhealing, noninfectious ulcers that can become exacerbated by trauma or manipulation, including surgical treatment. We describe the case of a 30-year-old woman who presented with a large ulcer at the site of an excisional cervical lymph node biopsy; she also had a smaller ulcer at the site of an earlier biopsy that had been previously well healed. The ulcers persisted despite local care, and the larger ulcer was exacerbated by surgical debridement. Histopathology revealed the presence of intense neutrophilic infiltrates with sterile microabscesses-a finding consistent with pyoderma gangrenosum. With 9 weeks of treatment with a high-potency topical steroid, both ulcers gradually healed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Pittsburgh, 145 Lothrop Hall, 190 Lothrop St., Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
authors.forename: Elena Balestreire
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Hawryluk
authors.forename: Sara Kaprove
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Penn
authors.forename: Mary-Chester
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Wasko
authors.forename: Jonas T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Laura Korb
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Ferris
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002990:Clobetasol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017511:Pyoderma Gangrenosum / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D002990:Clobetasol