Cutaneous Crohn disease without intestinal manifestations

Abstract

Extraintestinal manifestations (EIMs) are common in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). Various reactive cutaneous conditions, including erythema nodosum and pyoderma gangrenosum frequently occur as a part of EIMs. However, cutaneous metastasis of CD is rarely encountered in CD patients. Here, we report a 28-year-old female patient presenting with discharging deep fissures on genital and intergluteal regions. The result of a skin biopsy showed noncaseating granulomas. After rule out all the other differential diagnoses for granulomatous skin lesions, we believe this patient may be a case of CD, presenting with skin metastasis and GI tract involvement has not been occurred during 1-year follow-up. We suggest including cutaneous (metastatic) CD in the list of dermatologic differential diagnoses for cutaneous lesions of these sites. These lesions can occasionally precede gastrointestinal (GI) involvement by months and years, therefore, an appropriate follow-up needs to be done to detect GI lesions as soon as they appear.

Keywords

• metastatic crohn disease
• noncaseating granulomas
• vulvoperineal fissures