Eosinophilic cellulitis (Wells' syndrome)

Treatment of eosinophilic cellulitis (Wells syndrome) - a systematic review

Eosinophilic cellulitis (Wells syndrome) is a rare inflammatory skin disease defined by erythematous, tender, sometimes urticarial plaques, possibly with vesicles and bullae, and granulomatous eosinophilic infiltrates in the dermis. Usually the disease has a benign course with spontaneous remission within a few weeks. Nevertheless, recurrences are quite frequent and may occur for several years. The objective of this study was to review the so far reported treatment options for Wells syndrome in a systematic manner. This systematic review is based on a search on Medline, Embase and Cochrane Central Register for English and German articles from 1970 to 2015. Advices on the treatment of Wells syndrome are limited predominately to case reports or to small case series. There are no randomized controlled trials, and control groups are missing. A variety of treatment options for Wells syndrome were reported including topical and systemic corticosteroids, antihistamines, cyclosporine, dapsone, azathioprine, griseofulvin, doxycycline, minocycline, antimalarial medications, oral tacrolimus/topical tacrolimus, sulfasalazine, interferon alpha and gamma, TNF alpha inhibitors, colchicine and PUVA therapy. As well-designed, randomized controlled trials are missing, no guidelines for the treatment of this disease can be given. Due to the small number of patients and the frequent misdiagnosis of this clinical entity, the aim of this systematic overview is to call attention to this rare condition and to help clinicians to diagnose and treat Wells syndrome effectively. Due to the good prognosis and tendency to resolve, systemic treatment should be limited to cases resistant to local therapy or with widespread lesions.

Diagnosis and management of eosinophilic cellulitis (Wells' syndrome): A case series and literature review

INTRODUCTION

Eosinophilic cellulitis (Wells' syndrome) is an inflammatory dermatitis that is often misdiagnosed as infectious cellulitis due to its similarity in presentation. Misdiagnosis leads to delay of correct treatment and inappropriate use of antibiotics.

METHODS

A case series of eosinophilic cellulitis and a literature review are presented.

RESULTS

Patients with Wells' syndrome may present with a variety of nonspecific symptoms, such as fever, arthralgia and malaise, as well as myriad cutaneous lesions with associated erythema, presenting as blisters, bullae, papules and/or nodules. Several treatment modalities have been used to treat eosinophilic cellulitis and have been met with variable success rates; these include systemic corticosteroids, topical corticosteroids and antihistamines, with success rates of 91.7%, 50% and 25%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

A high degree of clinical suspicion must be exercised to diagnose this rare condition. Cellulitis with an atypical presentation or not responding to appropriate antibiotic treatment should trigger suspicion of Wells' syndrome. To date, the most successful treatment method is a short course of systemic corticosteroids.