Carly Mulinda, Laura E Levin, Margaret E Scollan, Kimberly D Morel
Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a chronic blistering skin disease with a propensity for bacterial colonization, critical colonization and/or infection, namely with Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. While P. aeruginosa cutaneous and systemic infection are associated with significant morbidity in the EB population, critical colonization poses its own risks, given its impairment of wound healing and the hypothesized association of flagellated bacteria with wound-induced skin cancer. There is a paucity of published literature describing topical management of P. aeruginosa colonization/critical colonization in patients with EB. The purpose of this review is to describe current and emerging treatment modalities for the topical management of P. aeruginosa colonization/critical colonization in patients with EB, extrapolating from current evidence-based practices in other skin conditions that may be relevant to patients with EB.