Prevalence estimates for pyoderma gangrenosum in the United States: An age- and sex-adjusted population analysis

Background: The disease burden of pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is poorly understood. Objective: To determine standardized overall and age-, sex-, and race-specific prevalence estimates for PG among adults in the United States. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of 1971 patients with PG identified using electronic health records data from a diverse population-based sample of more than 58 million patients. Results: The age- and sex-standardized prevalence of PG among the study population was 0.0058%, or 5.8 PG cases (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.6-6.1) per 100,000 adults. Adjusted prevalence was nearly twice as high among women (7.1 cases [95% CI, 6.7-7.5] per 100,000) than men (4.4 cases [95% CI, 4.0-4.7] per 100,000). Patients between the ages of 70 and 79 years had the highest standardized prevalence (9.8 cases [95% CI, 8.8-10.9] per 100,000), with patients aged >= 50 years representing nearly 70% of all PG cases. Standardized prevalence was similar among white and African American patients. The female-to-male ratio of PG was >1.8 across all age groups. Limitations: Analysis of electronic health records data may result in misclassification bias. Conclusion: PG is a rare disease that most commonly affects women and those aged >= 50 years.