Pangasinan woman's skin disease ‘very rare’ but curable – dermatologist

Very rare, but not entirely mysterious.

Pyoderma gangrenosum, the skin disease that afflicted a female patient in Pangasinan, is so rare that a dermatologist from a reputable Philippine hospital had seen only about two cases in her 20 years in service.

Of the two, only one was a confirmed case, said Dr. Grace Beltran in an interview on “News To Go” on Wednesday, noting that the other patient, a male, had refused to undergo biopsy to determine his condition.

If treated right, pyoderma gangrenosum is curable, said Beltran, a dermatologist at St. Luke's Medical Center.

The confirmed case was that of a 21-year-old woman in Pangasinan who was earlier reported to be suffering from a “mysterious disease.” It was confirmed through a biopsy.

Talking about the other patient, Beltran said: “Yung isa parang pyoderma din pero biglang gumaling, mabilis yung recovery nung tao at saka hindi ko siya na-biopsy.

Beltran added the second patient “refused the biopsy. Pero it looks like pyoderma.”

Beltran said even doctors from abroad were surprised with the woman's case.

“Pinakita ko yung pictures niya sa abroad nung nasa abroad ako, yung mga doctor dun manghang-mangha. Sabi nila ipadala mo sa amin yung diagnosis kung confirmed mo na,” she said.

Beltran came across the woman last year through GMA Kapuso Foundation, which helped the patient seek treatment for her disease.

The woman has wounds all over her body when she was first seen by the dermatologist.

“Talagang grabeng grabe,” Beltran said. “Ang sugat nun parang nalapnos, sobrang daming sugat.”

Pyoderma gangrenosum is an auto-immune genetic skin problem that affects people who have weak immune system. It is not contagious.

“Ang pyoderma gangrenosum ay pwedeng ma-trigger ng iba't-ibang sakit sa katawan ng isang tao. Kung may tuberculosis, pwede rin siya magkaroon ng pyoderma gangrenosum, kung may leukemia o may lymphoma o kung may rheumatoid arthritis, pwede rin magkaroon ng trigger,” said Beltran.

“Hindi nakakatakot dahil very rare lang ang nakakakuha ng sakit na ito dahil yung mabababa lang yung immune system talaga,” she added.

According to the US National Center for Biotechnology Information website, pyoderma gangrenosum is a rare but serious ulcerating skin disease that develops rapidly and can progress from a painful pimple, blister or red bump to a crater in 24 to 48 hours.

Pyoderma gangrenosum wounds are purplish or blue-green in color and have an indistinct edge.

Beltran said pyoderma gangrenosum is very different from flesh-eating disease or Necrotizing fasciitis, which is caused by a bacteria. However, both pyoderma gangrenosum and necrotizing fasciitis are rare and affect people with low immune system.

“Nagiging aggressive yung bacteria na nandun dahil mababa yung immune ng pasyente na may flesh-eating bacteria. Ang necrotizing fasciitis ay nangyayari sa mga taong may diabetes, sobrang tanda na, sobrang malnourished, may sakit na leukemia, lymphoma, may sakit na cancer,” she said.

She further said that necrotizing fasciitis usually occurs in one part of the body only and causes the death of the patient in a week or two if not treated immediately.

“Nagiging all over the body lang kung napabayaan mo na at saka madaling matepok yung pasyente na may flesh-eating bacteria. Aggressive yung bacteria na yun kaya pag hindi mo nagamot agad, in one week or two weeks time e pwede ka talagang mamatay,” she said.

The doctor said she had been able to cure the woman's skin disease after two to three months of continuous treatment. The patient, however, stopped coming to her clinic.

“Nag-wound culture and sensitivity ako sa kanya so ginamot ko na rin yung infection niya at binigyan ko ng antibiotic, nawala naman yung infection nya. May gagawin pa akong test sa pasyente kong yun kaso bigla siyang nawala kaya hindi ko nagawa yung ibang mga test,” she said.

Beltran said the skin disease would be cured if the doctor would find out what is causing it.

“Kung nalaman natin na tuberculosis pala yung dahilan ng pyoderma niya, kung ginamot mo yung TB, siyempre yung skin disease mawawala. Kung leukemia ang dahilan, pag nagamot yung leukemia kasabay yung balat na gagaling. Hindi highly contagious yung sakit niya, it is curable if we find the trigger,” Beltran said.

“There are instances na hindi mo alam kung saan nanggagaling yung pyoderma gangrenosum. Yun ang pinakamahirap dahil hindi mo alam kung saan mo ibibigay yung gamot na dapat kasi hindi mo alam yung trigger factor,” she added. — Amita Legaspi/KBK, GMA News