A 25-year-old patient from Tanzania was complaining of a non-healing wound in the inner thigh and gluteal region and had multiple skin lesions. The wounds were extremely painful and caused a lot of discomfort to the patient. She already had a major flap surgery for pilonidal sinus in 2020 and had a recurrent history of getting afflicted with the same condition for the past 9 years.
The non-healing ulcer that she now developed was surrounded by a lot of scarring and was connected to another wound in the gluteal area. Dr. Shraddha Desphpande, Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic surgeon at Wockhardt Hospitals, South Mumbai, India evaluated the case. She observed deep scarring, inflammation, and a lot of tissue damage. The patient underwent a debridement surgery to clean the wound and then definitive closure in form of a superior gluteal artery perforator flap. Meanwhile, she underwent comprehensive evaluation in form of histopathology and autoimmune markers to rule out any rare causes for her recurrent condition. A complete blood evaluation was carried out to assess her immunity levels and also an MRI. The patient was then diagnosed with a condition called Hidradenitis suppurativa (a skin condition that causes small, painful lumps to form under the skin. The lumps can break open, or tunnels can form under the skin. The condition mostly affects areas where the skin rubs together, such as the armpits, groin, buttocks, and breasts) which was causing recurrent skin lesions.
Dr. Shraddha Deshpande decided to carry out an intensive wound care technique procedure using collagen matrix and negative pressure wound healing therapy. She was on high-level medication and the wound started healing quickly. The patient has finally recovered after treatment. She was grateful to Dr. Deshpande and the surgical team for their in-depth evaluation of her case. Advanced treatment on wound care in plastic surgery and clinical expertise changed the entire perspective of the case and brought about successful results, relieving the patient from severe agony and mental stress.
