Postsurgical Pyoderma Gangrenosum After Breast Surgery: A Plea for Early Suspicion, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rare inflammatory cutaneous disorder. Although PG is a diagnosis of exclusion, prompt recognition is essential to attain the desired outcomes. From an aesthetic standpoint, this is especially critical with breast involvement and other body segments. We present a consecutive case series of four patients who developed PG following breast surgery and responded to early intervention.

A chart review identified four patients who were identified as having developed PG after either aesthetic or reconstructive breast surgery. Their histories, associated risk factors, diagnosis, course of treatment, and results were documented. The PubMed database was then searched to find the literature for comparison.

The average time from surgery to the onset of symptoms was 11 days, and the average time from the onset of symptoms to the correct diagnosis of PG was 41 days. The average length of steroid therapy was 25 days. The average time from the initiation of steroids to complete wound closure was 51 days. The average time from the onset of symptoms to complete wound closure bilaterally was 87 days. All wounds healed with conservative management.

Postsurgical PG is a rare but recognized cause of postoperative wound breakdown in patients who have undergone plastic surgery procedures to the breast. Early recognition and treatment can facilitate prompt reversal of the inflammatory process leading to complete wound healing and limitation of the morbidity that can be associated with the disease.

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