title: A retrospective study of 12 cases of pyoderma gangrenosum: why we should avoid surgical intervention and what therapy to apply.
abstract: Lesions of skin are ubiquitous in the medical field. The varying etiopathologies with similar presentation can pose a misleading picture, especially when faced with less common skin diseases. Furthermore, the misdiagnosis can cause detrimental effects on the patient's morbidity and  mortality, which was seen in the case series study we performed on pyoderma gangrenosum. The history of 12 patients were analyzed in reference to the course of the disease, accompanying diseases, clinical picture, histopathological examination, surgical intervention before diagnosis, and treatment.  Within this group of 12 patients, five were exposed to surgical interventions before diagnosis of pyoderma gangrenosum. The 5 patients were all exposed to prolonged aggravation of the disease process, followed by remission after proper diagnosis and treatment therapy. This study was done to  improve the knowledge of surgeons about pyoderma gangrenosum considering the frequency of skin lesion cases in the surgical practice. Knowledge of the disease is essential to diagnose pyoderma gangrenosum in early stages to avoid interventions that may prolong or worsen the outcome. Surgical  interventions in these patients should be avoided before proper diagnosis. The key to a better prognosis of pyoderma gangrenosum patients is often in the hands of surgeons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland. wiolabar@gumed.edu.pl
authors.forename: Wioletta
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Barańska-Rybak
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kakol
authors.forename: Matilda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Naesstrom
authors.forename: Olivia
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Komorowska
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sokołowska-Wojdyło
authors.forename: Jadwiga
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Roszkiewicz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000671:Amputation, Surgical; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002983:Clinical Competence; D000075202:Contraindications; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017511:Pyoderma Gangrenosum / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents