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Ecthyma gangrenosum

Ecthyma gangrenosum

Overview

This picture shows a skin infection (ecthyma) that has eroded through the top layer of skin (epidermis). Ecthyma gangrenosum is a bacterial skin infection (caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa) that usually occurs in people with a compromised immune system.

Review Date 4/20/2015

Updated by: Chad Haldeman-Englert, MD, FACMG, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Section on Medical Genetics, Winston-Salem, NC. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Isla Ogilvie, PhD, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.