Acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis (Sweet's syndrome): a study of 15 cases in Iran

Fluoroquinolone-Induced Sweet Syndrome: A Case Report

Sweet syndrome (SS) is a rare non-vasculitic neutrophilic dermatosis. Fever, the abrupt emergence of tender erythematous plaques and nodules, with an occasional presentation of vesicles and pustules along with dense neutrophilic infiltrates on skin biopsy are the hallmarks of the illness. Tender plaques or nodules develop along with other systemic manifestations suddenly in affected people which is considered to occur due to immune-mediated hypersensitivity. We report a case of Sweet syndrome in Pakistan presenting in a 55-year-old female. It is worth reporting due to the rarity of such cases in this region. The patient was diagnosed after profound investigations and was treated with corticosteroid therapy.

Sweet Syndrome Associated with Myelodysplastic Syndrome—A Review of a Multidisciplinary Approach

Sweet syndrome (SS) is a rare disease described as a febrile neutrophilic dermatosis with acute onset, the pathogenesis of which has not yet been elucidated. The syndrome is characterized by the sudden onset of erythematous infiltrated papules or plaques located on the upper body and is associated with fever, leukocytosis and neutrophilia. The lesions show a dense dermal infiltration with mature neutrophils. The condition is responsive to systemic steroids. The central nervous system, bones, muscles, eyes, ears, mouth, heart, lung, liver, kidneys, intestines, and spleen may be affected by SS as extracutaneous manifestations. More and more cases have been found to be associated with malignancies, particularly myelodysplastic syndrome, and, less frequently, other hematologic malignancies or solid tumors. Approximately 21% of patients with SS have an associated malignancy and up to 80% of MASS cases are associated with hematological diseases, predominantly myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Myelodysplastic syndrome is a clonal disease of the bone marrow characterized by inefficient hematopoiesis, dysplasia of the bone marrow and peripheral cytopenias. Affected patients have a high risk of leukemic transformation. After analyzing later studies and current practical aspects regarding MDS-related SS, we suggest an algorithm for evaluating these patients.

Systematic Review: Sweet Syndrome Associated with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Sweet syndrome [SS] is a dermatological condition associated with both inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] and azathioprine use. We performed a systematic review to better delineate clinical characteristics and outcomes of SS in IBD patients.

METHODS

Peer-reviewed, full-text journal publications from inception to April 2020 in English language and adult subjects with IBD were included. Skin biopsy was required as SS gold-standard diagnosis. Azathioprine-associated SS required recent azathioprine introduction or recurrence of SS after azathioprine re-challenge.

RESULTS

We included 89 publications with 95 patients [mean age of SS diagnosis: 44 years; 59% female; 20 with azathioprine-associated SS and 75 without]. SS was diagnosed prior to IBD in 5.3%, at time of IBD diagnosis in 29.5% and after diagnosis in 64.2%. In total, 91% of patients with SS had known colonic involvement and the majority [76%] had active IBD at diagnosis; 22% had additional extra-intestinal manifestations. Successful therapies for SS included corticosteroids [90.5%], anti-tumour necrosis factor [TNF]-α inhibitor therapy [14.8%] and azathioprine [11.6%]. Azathioprine-associated SS was distinct, with 85% male patients, mean age of SS diagnosis of 50 years and a lower likelihood to be prescribed corticosteroids for treatment [75% vs 94.7% of non-azathioprine-associated SS, p = 0.008]. All patients with azathioprine-associated SS improved with medication cessation and developed recurrence after re-challenge.

CONCLUSIONS

SS may precede or occur with IBD diagnosis in almost one-third of cases. Azathioprine and IBD-associated SS present and behave distinctly, especially with regard to gender, age at diagnosis and recurrence risk. Corticosteroids and TNF-α inhibitors have demonstrated efficacy in treating SS in IBD.

Sweet's syndrome: a retrospective study of 90 cases from a tertiary care center

BACKGROUND

Sweet's syndrome (SS) is a neutrophilic dermatosis characterized by the abrupt onset of cutaneous, systemic and histopathological alterations in response to different stimuli.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to assess the epidemioclinical, histological, and therapeutic features and outcomes of SS.

METHODS

A retrospective study of all patients diagnosed with SS over a 20-year period (1993-2012) was conducted. Data were analyzed using a level of significance of 5%.

RESULTS

Ninety patients (mean age: 46.5 years) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The ratio of women to men was 5. Significant associations emerged between dermohypodermic nodes and location on the lower limbs (P = 0.042), and vesiculobullous lesions and location on the legs (P = 0.030), dorsum of the hand (P = 0.015), and forearms (P = 0.003), and paraneoplastic forms (P = 0.012). The upper extremities were involved in the majority of patients (83.3%). Correlations were found between edema of the superficial dermis and vesiculobullous lesions and between leukocytoclastic vasculitis and atypical targetoid lesions. Sweet's syndrome was associated with cytomegalovirus infection (n = 1), inflammatory bowel disease (n = 4), neoplasm (n = 6), and pregnancy (n = 3). First-line treatment consisted of colchicine.

CONCLUSIONS

To the best of the present authors' knowledge, this is the largest series of SS to be reported. Clinical presentations are similar to those described in the literature. Colchicine was efficient and facilitates the reduced use of corticosteroids. The association between SS and neoplasms should be considered in the context of vesiculobullous lesions.

Sweet Syndrome: A Review and Update

Sweet syndrome is the most representative entity of febrile neutrophilic dermatoses. It typically presents in patients with pirexya, neutrophilia, painful tender erytomatous papules, nodules and plaques often distributed asymmetrically. Frequent sites include the face, neck and upper extremities. Affected sites show a characteristical neutrophilic infiltrate in the upper dermis. Its etiology remains elucidated, but it seems that can be mediated by a hypersensitivity reaction in which cytokines, followed by infiltration of neutrophils, may be involved. Systemic corticosteroids are the first-line of treatment in most cases. We present a concise review of the pathogenesis, classification, diagnosis and treatment update of this entity.

Sweet's syndrome: clinicopathological features of patients treated from 1997 to 2009 at Cassiano Antonio Moraes University Hospital - Vitoria (Espirito Santo)

Sweet's syndrome or acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis is rare in Brazil. It is clinically characterized by painful erythematous nodules, papules or plaques that occur mainly on the neck and upper limbs. Its cause may be unknown (idiopathic form) or it may be associated with malignancies, usually hematologic, or drugs. The authors describe 16 cases of the syndrome. The median age was 36 years, and all patients were white and presented solid lesions, predominantly on the upper limbs and trunk. Histopathological examination of the dermis of all patients revealed predominance of moderate to intense, superficial and deep, diffuse inflammatory infiltrate, mainly consisting of polymorphonuclear neutrophils, with leukocytoclasia. It also revealed changes in the epidermis and hypodermis (neutrophilic hypodermitis), but with no signs of vasculitis in most patients, which was not considered an important finding for diagnosis. Presence of exocytosis of neutrophils was common, favoring the diagnosis of Sweet's syndrome when accompanied by diffuse interstitial neutrophilic dermatitis.

Sweet's syndrome in a patient with infective endocarditis: a rare clinical entity

Sweet's syndrome, also known as acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis, has been associated with malignancy, autoimmune disease and collagen vascular disease. The association of infective endocarditis and Sweet's syndrome is rare. The authors report a case of Sweet's syndrome in a patient with infective endocarditis. Infective endocarditis should be excluded in patients of rheumatic heart disease presenting with Sweet's syndrome. Alternatively, Sweet's syndrome should be considered as a differential diagnosis when a patient with infective endocarditis develops skin lesions.

Alteration in the gene encoding protein tyrosine phosphatase nonreceptor type 6 (PTPN6/SHP1) may contribute to neutrophilic dermatoses

We have found a B2 repeat insertion in the gene encoding protein tyrosine phosphatase nonreceptor type 6 (PTPN6) in a mouse that developed a skin disorder with clinical and histopathological features resembling those seen in human neutrophilic dermatoses. Neutrophilic dermatoses are a group of complex heterogeneous autoinflammatory diseases that all demonstrate excessive neutrophil infiltration of the skin. Therefore, we tested the cDNA and genomic DNA sequences of PTPN6 from patients with Sweet's syndrome (SW) and pyoderma gangrenosum and found numerous novel splice variants in different combinations. Isoforms resulting from deletions of exons 2, 5, 11, and 15 and retention of intron 1 or 5 were the most common in a patients with a familial case of SW, who had a neonatal onset of an inflammatory disorder with skin lesions and a biopsy specimen consistent with SW. These isoforms were associated with a heterozygous E441G mutation and a heterozygous 1.7-kbp deletion in the promoter region of the PTPN6 gene. Although full-length PTPN6 was detected in all other patients with either pyoderma gangrenosum or SW, it was always associated with splice variants: a partial deletion of exon 4 with the complete deletion of exon 5, alterations that were not detected in healthy controls. The defect in transcriptional regulation of the hematopoietic PTPN6 appears to be involved in the pathogenesis of certain subsets of the heterogeneous group of neutrophilic dermatoses.

Lung cancer associated with Sweet's syndrome: report of a case

Lung cancer associated with Sweet's syndrome is extremely rare. There are only seven reports of such cases. As far as could be determined from a comprehensive search, there is no reported operative case of lung cancer with this syndrome in the world literature. A 75-year-old Japanese man was diagnosed as having Sweet's syndrome. A chest computed tomography (CT) scan to screen for malignant lesions associated with this syndrome revealed an abnormal shadow in the lung. Although [(18)F]2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D: -glucose positron emission tomography showed no abnormal uptake, lung cancer was most strongly suspected by chest CT. His erythema improved rapidly with steroid therapy and he underwent a segmentectomy (S(6)) of the right lower lobe. A pathological examination revealed lung adenocarcinoma (pT1N0M0: Stage Ia). The patient was discharged from the hospital without any worsening of Sweet's syndrome. We herein report a first operative case of an early stage lung adenocarcinoma with this syndrome.

Sweet's syndrome in a patient with Crohn's disease: a case report

Background

Sweet's syndrome, also known as acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis, has been associated with malignancy, autoimmune disease and collagen vascular disease. The association of Crohn's disease and Sweet's syndrome is rare. We report a case of Sweet's syndrome in a patient with Crohn's disease.

Case presentation

A 63-year-old man with a history of Crohn's disease presented with one-week duration of abdominal pain, diarrhea and hematochezia. He also noticed eruption of painful skin rashes all over his body at the same time. Colonoscopy and esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) showed inflammation involving different parts of the gastrointestinal tract consistent with Crohn's disease. Punch biopsy of the skin lesion was consistent with Sweet's syndrome, which has a rare association with Crohn's disease.

Conclusion

Crohn's disease should be excluded in patients presenting with Sweet's syndrome and diarrhea. Alternatively, Sweet's syndrome should be considered as a diagnosis when a patient with Crohn's disease develops skin lesions.

Sweet's syndrome--a comprehensive review of an acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis

Sweet's syndrome (the eponym for acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis) is characterized by a constellation of clinical symptoms, physical features, and pathologic findings which include fever, neutrophilia, tender erythematous skin lesions (papules, nodules, and plaques), and a diffuse infiltrate consisting predominantly of mature neutrophils that are typically located in the upper dermis. Several hundreds cases of Sweet's syndrome have been published. Sweet's syndrome presents in three clinical settings: classical (or idiopathic), malignancy-associated, and drug-induced. Classical Sweet's syndrome (CSS) usually presents in women between the age of 30 to 50 years, it is often preceded by an upper respiratory tract infection and may be associated with inflammatory bowel disease and pregnancy. Approximately one-third of patients with CSS experience recurrence of the dermatosis. The malignancy-associated Sweet's syndrome (MASS) can occur as a paraneoplastic syndrome in patients with an established cancer or individuals whose Sweet's syndrome-related hematologic dyscrasia or solid tumor was previously undiscovered; MASS is most commonly related to acute myelogenous leukemia. The dermatosis can precede, follow, or appear concurrent with the diagnosis of the patient's cancer. Hence, MASS can be the cutaneous harbinger of either an undiagnosed visceral malignancy in a previously cancer-free individual or an unsuspected cancer recurrence in an oncology patient. Drug-induced Sweet's syndrome (DISS) most commonly occurs in patients who have been treated with granulocyte-colony stimulating factor, however, other medications may also be associated with DISS. The pathogenesis of Sweet's syndrome may be multifactorial and still remains to be definitively established. Clinical and laboratory evidence suggests that cytokines have an etiologic role. Systemic corticosteroids are the therapeutic gold standard for Sweet's syndrome. After initiation of treatment with systemic corticosteroids, there is a prompt response consisting of dramatic improvement of both the dermatosis-related symptoms and skin lesions. Topical application of high potency corticosteroids or intralesional corticosteroids may be efficacious for treating localized lesions. Other first-line oral systemic agents are potassium iodide and colchicine. Second-line oral systemic agents include indomethacin, clofazimine, cyclosporine, and dapsone. The symptoms and lesions of Sweet's syndrome may resolved spontaneously, without any therapeutic intervention; however, recurrence may follow either spontaneous remission or therapy-induced clinical resolution.