Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2016 Jul-Sep;5(3):698-700.
doi: 10.4103/2249-4863.197300.

Pyoderma gangrenosum: A clinician's nightmare

Bindhu Bhaskaran  1 , Mittu John Mathew  2 , K N Vijayan  2 , Asha Zacharia  3
Affiliations
Case Reports

Pyoderma gangrenosum: A clinician's nightmare

Bindhu Bhaskaran et al. J Family Med Prim Care. 2016 Jul-Sep.

Abstract

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rare disease and that affecting specifically the sole of the foot, is even rarer. Here, we report the case of a 54-year-old female admitted with a painful ulcer on the sole of the right foot which was initially treated with empirical antibiotics and debridement. The disease was found to spread rapidly after each debridement. The culture reports were negative; rheumatology workup and Doppler study were within normal limits. A clinical suspicion of PG was made and was confirmed with tissue biopsy. She was started on oral steroids following which she dramatically improved. Thus, when a patient presents with a rapidly expanding painful ulcer in a vascular limb that is refractory to antibiotic treatment and exacerbating on debridement, it is imperative to consider the possibility of PG.

Keywords: Pyoderma gangrenosum; spreading; ulcer.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Spreading ulcer on the sole with pustules at the floor
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Su WP, Davis MD, Weenig RH, Powell FC, Perry HO. Pyoderma gangrenosum: Clinicopathologic correlation and proposed diagnostic criteria. Int J Dermatol. 2004;43:790–800. - PubMed
    1. von den Driesch P. Pyoderma gangrenosum: A report of 44 cases with follow-up. Br J Dermatol. 1997;137:1000–5. - PubMed
    1. Graham JA, Hansen KK, Rabinowitz LG, Esterly NB. Pyoderma gangrenosum in infants and children. Pediatr Dermatol. 1994;11:10–7. - PubMed
    1. Hemp L, Hall S. Pyoderma gangrenosum: From misdiagnosis to recognition, a personal perspective. J Wound Care. 2009;18:521–6. - PubMed
    1. Teagle A, Hargest R. Management of pyoderma gangrenosum. J R Soc Med. 2014;107:228–36. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types