RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Ecthyma gangrenosum in Saudi Arabia
JF Saudi Medical Journal
JO Saudi Med J
FD Prince Sultan Military Medical City
SP 1741
OP 1744
VO 28
IS 11
A1 Obasi, Obasi E.
A1 Osoba, Abimbola O.
A1 Raddadi, Ali A.
YR 2007
UL http://smj.org.sa/content/28/11/1741.abstract
AB We report a diagnosis of ecthyma gangrenosum EG in 4 females of mean age 54.8 range 43-64 years, within 10 months. Severe drug reaction treated with high dose systemic corticosteroids in patient one, acute myelocytic leukemia treated with high dose dexamethasone, and multiple broad-spectrum antibiotics in patient 2 preceded the onset of EG. Patients 3 and 4 had vasculitic purpura and hemodialysis. In addition, patient 3 was receiving multiple broad-spectrum antibiotics plus anti-tuberculosis TB drugs for gastric TB, while patient 4 was on melphalan and high dose systemic corticosteroids. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated from blood culture of the first 3 patients, and skin culture of patient one. Blister aspirate from patient 4 yielded Candida albicans. Factors enhancing skin invasion by pathogenic organisms in our patients were breached skin integrity, therapy with high dose corticosteroids and multiple broad-spectrum antibiotics, hematologic malignancies and chemotherapy with severe neutropenia.