Pyoderma Gangrenosum :
Pyoderma Gangrenosum happens to be quite a rare condition that leads to the development of large and painful sores on the skin. Even though it could appear anywhere on your body, legs are the most fertile target.
It should be noted that as of yet, no one truly knows the cause of pyoderma gangrenosum but studies have indicated that it may be a result of some sort of an immune disorder. Moreover, if a person is suffering from IBS or arthritis, the likelihood of developing this disease increases significantly.
Risk factors
Following is a list of factors that may aggravate the possibility of pyoderma gangrenosum:
1. People who are suffering from blood disorders (most likely, cancer) are quite exposed to it
2. It is worth noticing that pyoderma gangrenosum is more common in women falling between the age bracket of 40 and 50. However, it should be emphasized that the disease can occur at any stage
3. As mentioned before, any gut-related medical issue, such as IBS, increases the chances of getting this disease
Pyoderma Gangrenosum Symptoms
It usually initiates with a relatively smaller bump or rather swelling on the skin. At times, it may resemble a spider bite, and within days, it tends to become a large sore, that is usually painful. You are highly advised not to scratch it to prevent any bleeding or infection.
As mentioned before, the fertile site for these ulcers happen to be your legs, but it could occur anywhere and at times, it may appear under the surgical sites as well. It is also worth noticing that if your skin has multiple ulcers, they may merge together to form a single bump.
As far as your visit to the doctor is concerned, you should not delay once the wound becomes painful and starts growing rapidly.
Prevention
It sounds like the most interesting section of any health-related article, but things go a bit south when we talk about pyoderma gangrenosum.
Well, you cannot absolutely prevent the disease and if you already have it, then your best bet is to avoid any skin injury. This is because any trauma or injury to your skin can trigger the development of ulcers on your skin. It would simply worsen the condition.
Management
Well, as the first measure, you should visit a dermatologist to initiate the treatment after a comprehensive diagnosis. Even though the scope of treatment tends to vary from patient to patient, most of the times, wound care and immunosuppression are the primary treatments.
One of the core concerns is that if you have any associated diseases as mentioned above, then curing it could also help managing and reducing the symptoms of pyoderma gangrenosum.
For the wound care, your doctor is most likely to prescribe wet compresses and dressings since moist wound management is the key here. Some topical steroids might also be injected into the boundary of the ulcer to halt its spread.
Videos Shows the Symptoms, Risk Factors and Treatment
