Progressive and extensive ulcerations in a girl since 4 months of age: the difficulty in diagnosis of pyoderma gangrenosum

Indian J Dermatol. 2012 Jan;57(1):48-9. doi: 10.4103/0019-5154.92678.

Abstract

A female child developed multiple, progressive, therapy-resistant, painful large ulcers, vesicles, and pustules since her 4 months of age. The ulcers were large, some even measured more than 8 cm; most had violaceous undermined margin with surrounding erythematous halo, raw and crusted surface and were distributed extensively over scalp, face, ear, trunk, buttocks, thigh, legs, dorsum of hands, and feet without any mucosal involvement. After detail clinical examination and investigation, it was diagnosed as a case of pyoderma gangrenosum. Extensive search did not reveal any systemic abnormality or detect any infective etiology. The case highlights the problems of diagnosis of multiple ulcers at very early age.

Keywords: Children; diagnosis; pyoderma gangrenosum.