Cutaneous malakoplakia arising on the ankle of a patient with pyoderma gangrenosum

Abstract

Malakoplakia is a rare chronic inflammatory condition that most commonly involves the urogenital tract. Cutaneous malakoplakia is extremely rare and many patients diagnosed with skin involvement are immunosuppressed. While the clinical presentation of cutaneous malakoplakia is variable, the histopathologic features are quite distinct and include sheets of closely packed dermal histiocytes with foamy‐appearing cytoplasm and Michaelis–Gutmann bodies that are positive with certain immunohistochemical stains. While the exact pathogenesis of malakoplakia is unknown, it has been associated with certain bacterial infections. Treatment generally involves a combination of surgery and antimicrobial agents and/or modulation of immunosuppressant therapy if appropriate. Herein, the authors report a unique case of cutaneous malakoplakia arising in a patient on chronic immunosuppressive therapy for the management of pyoderma gangrenosum.