engleski

Skin lesions resembling pyoderma gangrenosum as first manifestation of Wegener's granulomatosis: a case report

Among other symptoms and signs, Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) might present with various types of skin lesions (purpura, papules, subcutaneous nodules, ulcers), but rarely with lesions resembling pyoderma gangrenosum. A case report of a 53-year-old Caucasian female hospitalized at the Division of Emergency and Intensive Care Medicine, Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital Centre (SMUHC) due to the pulmonary embolism (PE) and multiple skin lesions presents a case of the patient with lesions resembling pyoderma gangrenosum as the first manifestation of WG. Antineutrophil cytoplasmatic antibodies with antigen specificity for proteinase 3 (PR-3-ANCA) were detected and confirmed the diagnosis of WG. The ulcers healed almost completely under treatment with azathioprine and corticosteroids. Differential diagnosis of necrotic skin ulcers resembling pyoderma gangrenosum should include tests for WG evan when there are no signs of other organ affection specific for WG.

leg ulcers; pyoderma gangrenosum; Wegener's granulomatosis

Croatian International Symposium on Intensive Care Medicine, Brijuni, June 2012.