Bullous pyoderma gangrenosum: a case report and review of the published work

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is an ulcerative skin disorder characterized by neutrophilic infiltrations. PG is generally classified into four types: (i) ulcerative; (ii) pustular; (iii) bullous; and (iv) vegetative. Among them, bullous PG is known as a rare type. Herein, we report a case of bullous PG together with a summary of the 12 PG cases treated in our department over the previous 15 years, and we review 38 well-documented bullous PG cases (65.8% female; aged 18-80 years [mean ± standard deviation, 51.6 ± 16.8]) in the published work, including the present case, from 1972-2011. Although the disease most frequently associated with PG is inflammatory bowel disease, bullous PG is most commonly associated with hematological disorders (25/38, 65.8%), which indicates the characteristic pathophysiology specific to bullous PG.