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An analysis of more than 1,000 pathologically confirmed pyogenic granulomas (PGs) showed distinct age and sex patterns in their distribution, challenging previous understanding of their etiology.
Researchers for the analysis examined 1,009 PG cases reported between 2010 and 2020 at a tertiary academic center in the Midwestern United States. The dataset included 987 patients, stratified by age, sex, and anatomical location. Overall, PGs were evenly distributed between male and females across most anatomical sites. Females were more frequently affected in the lower extremities.
The analysis showed differences in age-specific distributions between sexes. PGs were more common on the head/neck and trunk in males under 20 years and in females aged 20–50 years. This pattern was not observed in PGs on the upper or lower extremities. No left-right laterality bias was reported for upper extremity PGs, nor was an anterior-posterior bias identified for truncal PGs.
"In this retrospective case series, an age-by-sex interaction was found in the incidence of PGs, with PGs on the head/neck and trunk being more common in males younger than 20 years and in females 20 to 50 years of age. These findings suggest that trauma may not be a major etiologic factor for PGs. Future studies are necessary to confirm this and to understand the causes of the age-by-sex interaction."
Source: Dube U, et al. JAMA Dermatology. 2025. Doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2024.5447