Monoclonal gammopathy in the setting of Pyoderma gangrenosum

Abstract

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a neutrophilic dermatosis characterized by ulcerative painful lesions with violaceous undermined borders. Up to 75% of PG cases develop in association with an underlying systemic disease. Monoclonal gammopathy is reportedly a concomitant condition with PG, with studies indicating immunoglobulin (Ig) A gammopathy as the most common. Whether gammopathy is associated with PG or is an incidental finding has been debated. We sought to investigate the association and characteristics of gammopathy in patients with PG. We retrospectively identified PG patients at our institution from 2010 to 2022 who were screened for plasma cell dyscrasia. Of 106 patients identified, 29 (27%) had a gammopathy; subtypes included IgA (41%), IgG (28%), and biclonal (IgA and IgG) (14%). Mean age was similar between those with and without gammopathy (60.7 vs. 55.9 years; P = .26). In addition, hematologic or solid organ cancer developed in significantly more patients with vs. without gammopathy (8/29 [28%] vs. 5/77 [6%]; P = .003). Among the subtypes of gammopathy, IgG monoclonal gammopathy had the highest proportion of patients with subsequent cancer development (4 of 8 patients, 50%). Study limitations include a retrospective, single-institution design with a limited number of patients. Overall, our data show a high prevalence of gammopathy in patients with PG; those patients additionally had an increased incidence of cancer, especially hematologic cancer.

Keywords: Cancer; Gammopathy; Leg ulcer; Monoclonal; Pyoderma gangrenosum.