Sweet syndrome

Q: All of the following are considered "classical" Sweet syndrome EXCEPT?

A) Drug-Induced

B) Infections associated

B) Inflammatory bowel disease associated

C) Pregnancy-associated

Answer: A

It is called Sweet syndrome after Dr. Robert Douglas Sweet, who first described it almost 60 years ago. Its medical terminology is 'acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis'.  

It is an inflammatory disorder characterized by the abrupt appearance of painful, edematous, and erythematous papules, plaques, or nodules on the skin. Fever and leukocytosis frequently accompany the cutaneous lesions. Also, involvement of the eyes, musculoskeletal system, and internal organs may occur.

It is divided into three categories

1. Classical 
2. Malignancy-associated (common in AML)
3. Drug-induced (classically with Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor -G-CSF)

The majority of cases occur after the following three pathologies, and that's why called classical

• 1-3 weeks after upper respiratory tract and gastrointestinal infections (though it can also occur in other infections)
• In Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis
• In Pregnancy 

Drug-induced sweet syndrome is not considered classical.

#dermatology

References:

1. SWEET RD. AN ACUTE FEBRILE NEUTROPHILIC DERMATOSIS. Br J Dermatol 1964; 76:349.

2. Cohen PR. Sweet's syndrome--a comprehensive review of an acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis. Orphanet J Rare Dis 2007; 2:34.

3. Ytting H, Vind I, Bang D, Munkholm P. Sweet's syndrome--an extraintestinal manifestation in inflammatory bowel disease. Digestion 2005; 72:195.

4. Satra K, Zalka A, Cohen PR, Grossman ME. Sweet's syndrome and pregnancy. J Am Acad Dermatol 1994; 30:297.

5. Raza S, Kirkland RS, Patel AA, Shortridge JR, Freter C. Insight into Sweet's syndrome and associated-malignancy: a review of the current literature. Int J Oncol. 2013 May;42(5):1516-22. doi: 10.3892/ijo.2013.1874. Epub 2013 Mar 28. PMID: 23546524.