Postoperative Pyoderma Gangrenosum After Elective Abdominoplasty: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a relatively uncommon disease that can present after a bevy of inciting events, ranging from posttraumatic and postoperative states to association with a number of systemic inflammatory disorders. Various classification schemes have been described to further delineate the underlying cause, including ulcerative, pustular, vegetative, bullous, peristomal, and pathergic forms of PG. Pathergic PG develops at the site of a previous trauma. Described here is a case report of a patient with progressive PG after an elective abdominoplasty. Regardless of the cause, the most important concept in management of patients with this disorder is early recognition, which often mandates a high clinical index of suspicion. Although many different treatment regimens have been described in the literature, the consensus opinion is centered on conservative and prompt administration of antiinflammatory medications, often in the form of exogenous corticosteroid therapy.