Sweet's syndrome: retrospective study of clinical and histologic features of 44 cases from a tertiary care center

Background Sweet's syndrome (SS) is an uncommon disorder characterized by the abrupt onset of erythematous papules and plaques that histologically exhibit diffuse dermal neutrophilic infiltrate and edema. There are usually associated constitutional symptoms such as fever, neutrophilia, elevated serum inflammatory markers, and associated disorders. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical and histologic features of all patients diagnosed with SS at our institution between 1971 and 2008 and to compare their findings with those published in the literature. Methods Retrospective review of 44 cases of SS diagnosed at the American University of Beirut - Medical Center between 1971 and 2008. Data collected included clinical (age, gender, morphology and distribution of lesions, associated symptoms and disorders, therapy) and histologic features, as well as laboratory abnormalities. Results Most of our patients showed the typical clinical, histologic, and laboratory abnormalities characteristic of SS. Of our 44 patients, 33 (75%) had classic SS while 11 (25%) had an underlying malignant disorder. Of all patients, 7 (16%) were in the pediatric age group, five (11%) had the neutrophilic dermatosis of the dorsal hands variant of SS and two (5%) had subcutaneous SS. Most patients were treated with a tapering dose of systemic corticosteroids with a good response. Conclusion The clinical and histologic findings of the 44 SS patients in our study are generally comparable to those published in the literature, with some differences.