Empiric Treatment of Classical Pyoderma Gangrenosum in the Outpatient Setting: A Case Report

TL;DR

This case report describes a 42-year-old man with classical pyoderma gangrenosum who was successfully treated with corticosteroids after failing antibiotic therapy.

Contribution

The paper highlights the importance of early corticosteroid use in outpatient classical PG cases.

Findings

The patient failed three antibiotic courses before responding to corticosteroids.

Classical PG was diagnosed in an outpatient setting after excluding other conditions.

Early corticosteroid treatment may improve outcomes in classical PG cases.

Abstract

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rare neutrophilic disorder that typically presents as painful, ulcerative lesions. It is a diagnosis of exclusion and is oftentimes associated with systemic conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and other inflammatory conditions. PG remains difficult to diagnose, and a delay in recognizing the disease can contribute to appreciable morbidity in the population. Here, we present the case of a 42-year-old male with the classical subtype of PG in the outpatient clinic who failed three courses of antibiotics before responding to corticosteroids.

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