Chronic Cutaneous Bacterial Hypersensitivity: A Third Case and Reevaluation of the First Two Cases

We present a third case with similar features of our first two cases of a patient with chronic recurrent indolent inflammatory skin lesions. This is called chronic cutaneous bacterial hypersensitivity. As with the first two cases, the third case had nondiagnostic skin biopsies and laboratory tests with failure to respond to antibiotics. All three cases responded to corticosteroids with the first two cases in remission and off systemic corticosteroids at 9 and 4 years, respectively. All three cases are considered consistent with bacterial allegy because of IgG and or IgE antibodies against common cutaneous bacteria. Either a remission from therapy with prednisone occurs, or control with low dose oral or topical corticosteroids is achieved in this frightening and disfiguring dermopathy.