| Summary: | Pyoderma gangrenosum is one of the more uncommon extraintestinal manifestations of Crohn's disease and, more broadly, inflammatory bowel disease. Little is known regarding the pathophysiology of pyoderma gangrenosum. However, treatment of systemic inflammatory disorders (eg, rheumatoid arthritis) and dermatologic disorders (eg, psoriasis) with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) inhibitors has had promising results; TNF-alpha inhibitors may help to elucidate a clearer connection between Crohn's disease and pyoderma gangrenosum. We report a case of a 29 -year-old man with pyoderma gangrenosum associated with Crohn's disease. Following treatment with infliximab, his Crohn's disease as well as his cutaneous ulcers improved markedly. We suggest that TNF-alpha suppression, in addition to its possible efficacy in treating fistulizing Crohn's disease, might prove beneficial in alleviating cutaneous symptoms by a similar mechanism.
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