A Case of Pyodermatitis-Pyostomatitis Vegetans

Pyodermatitis-pyostomatitis vegetans (PD-PSV) is a rare disorder characterized by mucocutaneous involvement and associated with inflammatory bowel disease. A 42-year-old woman with ulcerative colitis who manifested verrucous and pyogenic lesions on her scalp, neck, axillae, inguinal areas, umbilicus, trunk and oral cavity for about 11 months is described. She also experienced general fatigue and swelling in her lower extremities. Histology revealed eosinophilic inflammation with microabscesses and pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia, but she was negative on direct immunofluorescence for IgA, IgG and C3. She was diagnosed with PD-PSV and treated with infusions of 20% human albumin (100 mL) for 5 days, followed by methylprednisolone (40 mg/d), with remission of lesions observed after 1 month. The differential diagnosis of PD-PSV and pemphigus vegetans is discussed.