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Case Reports: Reminder of important clinical lesson
Infection mimicking skin condition: pyoderma gangrenosum
  1. Ellen Burlage1,
  2. Janneke W. C. M. Mulder2,
  3. Jorm M. Nellensteijn1 and
  4. Adelgunde V. C. M. Zeegers1
  1. 1Orthopaedic Surgery, Medisch Spectrum Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
  2. 2Internal Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  1. Correspondence to Dr Adelgunde V. C. M. Zeegers; a.zeegers{at}mst.nl

Abstract

The a priori risk of infection is high when a patient presents with an ulcerative skin condition and elevated inflammatory parameters. If the ulceration is progressive despite adequate antibiotic therapy and tissue cultures are negative, pyoderma gangrenosum should be considered as the diagnosis. This rare infection mimicking skin condition can develop and worsen due to surgery. In this paper, we report two cases that illustrate the importance of making this clinical diagnosis in a timely manner in order to avoid unnecessary surgical interventions and worsening of the clinical picture.

  • hip prosthesis implantation
  • dermatology
  • surgery
  • orthopaedics

https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2021-247770

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors EB and JM did the literature search and wrote the manuscript. JN and AZ provided the patient data and helped with editing and writing. All authors critically revised the manuscript and approved the final version.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Case reports provide a valuable learning resource for the scientific community and can indicate areas of interest for future research. They should not be used in isolation to guide treatment choices or public health policy.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.