The New England Journal of Medicine: Skin Ulcers Misdiagnosed as Pyoderma Gangrenosum Pyoderma gangrenosum is a diagnosis of exclusion, and the misdiagnosis of pyoderma gangrenosum can result in substantial complications in patients who have other causes of severe cutaneous ulceration. Pyoderma gangrenosum was first described as an extraintestinal manifestation of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) by Brunsting and colleagues in 1930. 1 They described painful enlarging necrotic ulcers ...

Context Explanation

Pyoderma gangrenosum (pie-o-DUR-muh gang-ruh-NO-sum) is a rare condition that causes large, painful sores on the skin. The sores can develop quickly. Most often they appear on the legs. The exact causes of pyoderma gangrenosum are unknown, but it appears to be a disorder of the immune system.

Insight Material

Pyoderma gangrenosum causes small bumps on your skin that can quickly develop into large ulcers. This condition can be difficult to diagnose, and even after a diagnosis, it may take some time for your symptoms to heal. Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) presents as a rapidly enlarging, very painful ulcer. It is one of a group of autoinflammatory disorders known as neutrophilic dermatoses. The name pyoderma gangrenosum is historical.

Final Conclusion

The condition is not an infection (pyoderma), nor does it cause gangrene. Pyoderma is a bacterial skin infection that ranges from mild surface irritation to deep tissue involvement. Learn what causes it, how it’s treated, and more. Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is an uncommon inflammatory and ulcerative skin disorder characterized histopathologically by the accumulation of neutrophils in the skin.