Clinical and laboratory factors associated with wound healing in patients with pyoderma gangrenosum: a retrospective study.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rare, chronic, inflammatory, and ulcerative condition that often affects the lower extremities. Laboratory markers such as neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) level may have prognostic utility in the management of ulcerative or inflammatory conditions. OBJECTIVE: This exploratory analysis investigated the relationship between readily available clinical factors and target ulcer healing within 6 months from the first visit. METHODS: Two logistic regression models were fit-one focused on ESR as a primary predictor adjusted for age and hemoglobin level, and the other focused on CRP level adjusted for body mass index (BMI) and smoking history. RESULTS: The odds of wound healing at 6 months for patients with abnormal CRP was 0.19 times the odds of healing (95% CI, 0.03-0.77) for those with normal CRP (<10 mg/L), after accounting for BMI and smoking. Similarly, after accounting for age and hemoglobin, those with high ESR experienced 2.81 times the odds of healing (95% CI, 0.69-14.58) at 6 months compared with patients with normal ESR. CONCLUSIONS: After adjustment, an increased CRP level was associated with lower odds of healing; however, further research is warranted to investigate its prognostic utility. The relationship between ESR and odds of healing should be interpreted with caution because the wide 95% CI for the adjusted odds ratio reflects marked uncertainty in the estimate. This research brief may inform investigations into inflammatory markers as possible prognostic markers for wound healing in patients with PG.