Pursuing a Ghost: Challenges in Diagnosing and Managing Pyoderma Gangrenosum

This session will provide a practical overview of pyoderma gangrenosum (PG), including its clinical presentation, disease course, associated comorbidities, and patient burden. Participants will review diagnostic challenges, key differential diagnoses, and biopsy considerations. The session will also address wound care, management strategies based on disease severity and comorbidities, and current treatment limitations. Emerging insights into the potential role of IL-36 in PG pathophysiology will be discussed, followed by application of these concepts to a patient case.
 

Objectives:
1. Describe the clinical presentation, subtypes, disease course, systemic associations, and patient burden of pyoderma gangrenosum (PG).

2. Recognize the diagnostic challenges associated with PG, including relevant differential diagnoses, biopsy findings, pathergy, and available diagnostic frameworks such as the PARACELSUS score. 

3. Discuss current wound care and treatment considerations for PG, including, disease severity, comorbidities, and the potential role of IL-36 in PG pathophysiology.