title: Successful treatment of pyoderma gangrenosum with granulocyte and monocyte adsorption apheresis.
abstract: Pyoderma gangrenosum is a neutrophilic dermatosis clinically characterised by the presence of painful skin ulcerations with erythematous and undetermined borders and histologically by the presence of neutrophilic infiltrates in the dermis. Granulocyte and monocyte adsorption apheresis, also called granulocytapheresis, is a therapeutic strategy for extracorporeal immunomodulation that selectively removes activated granulocytes and monocytes/macrophages from the peripheral blood. Here, we report a case of a 73-year-old patient affected by a severe form of pyoderma gangrenosum presenting with multiple painful ulcers and pustules on his trunk and extremities. The disease was resistant to high doses of methylprednisolone and methotrexate and successfully treated by granulocyte and monocyte adsorption apheresis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the efficacy of granulocyte and monocyte adsorption apheresis in pyoderma gangrenosum in Europe.
authors: Unit of Dermatology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors: Irene
authors: I
authors: Russo
authors: Unit of Dermatology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors: Serena
authors: S
authors: Miotto
authors: Apheresis Unit, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Colpo
authors: Apheresis Unit, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors: Piero
authors: P
authors: Marson
authors: Apheresis Unit, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors: Tiziana
authors: T
authors: Tison
authors: Unit of Dermatology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Ferrazzi
authors: Unit of Dermatology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors: Mauro
authors: M
authors: Alaibac
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption / Q000502:physiology*; D000368:Aged; D001781:Blood Component Removal / Q000379:methods*; D005060:Europe; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009000:Monocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D017511:Pyoderma Gangrenosum / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Granulocyte and monocyte adsorption apheresis; Neutrophilic dermatosis; Pyoderma gangrenosum