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Rare Diseases

Woman develops painful ulcers that eat away skin after noticing mark on breast: 'I feel so ugly'

By Alexandria Hein Fox News
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WARNING: GRAPHIC PHOTO BELOW

A 26-year-old woman in Kentucky who developed a rare immune system disorder that causes large painful sores to eat away at her skin said it first started with an odd mark on one of her breasts in 2017.

Mercedes Michalski, of Kentucky, said she first noticed a mark on her breast in 2017. 

Mercedes Michalski, of Kentucky, said she first noticed a mark on her breast in 2017.  (Mercury Press)

Mercedes Michalski, who spoke to Mercury Press about her disorder, said that her breast is now completely disfigured and that she has developed depression as a result of the diagnosis.

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According to the report, Michalski was diagnosed with pyoderma gangrenosum, which causes small, red bumps or blisters that develop into swollen open sores or ulcers, which are extremely painful and develop a blue or violet-color, according to the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD).

Michalski's sores vary in size and have caused her to stress about what the future holds.

Michalski's sores vary in size and have caused her to stress about what the future holds. (Mercury Press)

The ulcers may spread, and become extremely painful, although the origins of the disorder remain unknown. It most often strikes in women between the ages of 20 to 50 years and is estimated to affect 1 in 100,000 people in the U.S., according to NORD.

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Treatment may include ointments and wet dressings on the ulcers, or immunosuppressive drugs or corticosteroids. For Michalski, the sores appear all over her body, which has caused her to stop working and fear what the future holds.

“I feel so ugly,” she allegedly told Mercury Press, according to the Daily Mail. “I don’t leave home unless I’m going to the doctor. I’m not in a relationship and I’m worried about when I do meet someone because I don’t know how they’ll take it.”

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Michalski said she is holding out hope that a cure for pyoderma gangrenosum is on the horizon.