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A Rapidly Enlarging Facial Abscess

Educational Objective
Based on this clinical scenario and the accompanying image, understand how to arrive at a correct diagnosis.
1 Credit CME

A woman in her late 70s with a history of immunoglobulin A monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance presented with a tender, draining lesion of the central face despite several courses of treatment with antibiotics (Figure, A). The patient lived in Southern California but had visited Kenya for an extended trip a few years prior. Review of systems was negative for fevers, night sweats, weight loss, headache, vision changes, respiratory distress, or arthralgias. On the left nasal dorsum and medial cheek, there was a 3 × 4 cm violaceous plaque with focal purulent drainage. Within several weeks, the lesion rapidly expanded into a vegetative, freely draining plaque covering the cheeks and glabella and approaching the medial canthi (Figure, B). Computed tomography revealed findings consistent with abscess that did not involve the orbits, sinuses, or bone. Chest radiography results were unremarkable. Punch biopsy specimens were obtained for histopathological analysis and tissue cultures (Figure, C). Tissue culture results at 2 weeks remained negative, and a QuantiFERON-TB Gold test result was negative.

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A woman in her late 70s with a history of immunoglobulin A monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance presented with a tender, draining lesion of the central face despite several courses of treatment with antibiotics (Figure, A). The patient lived in Southern California but had visited Kenya for an extended trip a few years prior. Review of systems was negative for fevers, night sweats, weight loss, headache, vision changes, respiratory distress, or arthralgias. On the left nasal dorsum and medial cheek, there was a 3 × 4 cm violaceous plaque with focal purulent drainage. Within several weeks, the lesion rapidly expanded into a vegetative, freely draining plaque covering the cheeks and glabella and approaching the medial canthi (Figure, B). Computed tomography revealed findings consistent with abscess that did not involve the orbits, sinuses, or bone. Chest radiography results were unremarkable. Punch biopsy specimens were obtained for histopathological analysis and tissue cultures (Figure, C). Tissue culture results at 2 weeks remained negative, and a QuantiFERON-TB Gold test result was negative.

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Article Information

Corresponding Author: Brandon L. Adler, MD, Department of Dermatology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1441 Eastlake Ave, Ezralow Tower, Ste 5301, Los Angeles, CA 90033 (brandon.adler@med.usc.edu).

Published Online: September 7, 2022. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2022.3756

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Dr Adler reported grants from AbbVie and personal fees from Skin Research Institute, LLC outside the submitted work. No other disclosures were reported.

Additional Contributions: We thank the patient for granting permission to publish this information.

References
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AMA CME Accreditation Information

Credit Designation Statement: The American Medical Association designates this Journal-based CME activity activity for a maximum of 1.00  AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to:

  • 1.00 Medical Knowledge MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program;;
  • 1.00 Self-Assessment points in the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery’s (ABOHNS) Continuing Certification program;
  • 1.00 MOC points in the American Board of Pediatrics’ (ABP) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program;
  • 1.00 Lifelong Learning points in the American Board of Pathology’s (ABPath) Continuing Certification program; and
  • 1.00 credit toward the CME [and Self-Assessment requirements] of the American Board of Surgery’s Continuous Certification program

It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting MOC credit.

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