Acute pyoderma gangrenosum does not require surgical therapy

Pyoderma gangrenosum is an uncommon ulcerative skin disorder that is often associated with underlying systemic diseases, the most common of which is inflammatory bowel disease. We report an illustrative case of a 36-year-old woman with pyoderma gangrenosum occurring at surgical sites and at sites of trauma. She had associated Crohn disease. Multiple surgical procedures were performed on this patient, without improvement. Pyoderma gangrenosum can mimic a necrotizing soft tissue infection. Early recognition of the characteristic lesion may prevent unnecessary operations and facilitate effective control with appropriate medical therapy.