Derm News: 2007.4(1)

Facial Sweet's syndrome mimicking rosacea fulminans

Volume 48 Issue 1 Page 50 - February 2007
Namrata S Anavekar, Richard Williams, Alvin H Chong

Abstract

A 36-year-old man presented with a non-pruritic, erythematous facial rash with peri-oral and peri-orbital sparing. The initial clinicopathological diagnosis was rosacea fulminans, which was treated with 25 mg oral prednisolone and cephalexin. The patient re-presented 1 week later with exacerbation of his rash in addition to constitutional symptoms of fever and malaise.

A further skin biopsy was taken and the marked neutrophilic infiltrate in the absence of vasculitis made the diagnosis of Sweet's syndrome (acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis). High-dose prednisolone (50 mg daily), topical hydrocortisone cream and ichthammol in zinc ointment were commenced with rapid clinical improvement. This case highlights the importance of considering Sweet's syndrome as a differential diagnosis when presented with a facial eruption.

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The Derm News service provided by the Editorial Consultants of Skin Therapy Letter^© and its founding editor Dr. Stuart Maddin.