Crohn’s Disease Associated Pyoderma Gangrenosum Treated with Adalimumab

• Main Authors: Despoina Kakagia, Eleni Efremidou, Nikolaos Lyratzopoulos, Alexandros Mitrakas, Michael Pitiakoudis, George Kouklakis
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Galenos Publishing House 2012-03-01
• Series: Balkan Medical Journal
• Subjects: Adalimumab; Crohn’s disease; immunomodulating agents; pyoderma gangrenosum
• Online Access: http://www.tutfd.org/text.php3?id=838
• ISSN: 2146-3123; 2146-3131

Pyoderma gangrenosum is a known, though infrequent, ulcerative skin lesion that is often associated with systemic inflammatory and immunologic diseases. Objective: To present the efficacy of Adalimumab, a fully human Tumour Necrosis Factor-α antagonist, in the treatment of pyoderma gangrenosum associated with Crohn’s disease. Methods: A young male patient with pyoderma gangrenosum of the shin as the first sign of clinically active Crohn’s disease, who was treated with Adalimumab, is herein presented. Results: Almost complete healing of the lesion was achieved after 12 weeks of treatment. Conclusions: Successful treatment outcome suggests that Adalimumab is not only a therapeutic option for Crohn’s disease but may also be a safe and effective therapy for Pyoderma gangrenosum associated with the disease. Pyoderma gangrenosum should be suspected in any cutaneous ulcerative lesion occurring in patients with Crohn’s disease.