Lymphocytic infiltrates as a presenting feature of Sweet's syndrome with myelodysplasia and response to cyclophosphamide

Abstract

Sweet's syndrome has a well-recognized association with malignancies, around half of which have been acute myelogenous leukaemia. There are also numerous reports of Sweet's syndrome in association with myelodysplasia. We report two patients with Sweet's syndrome in whom the classical histological appearances were preceded by dermal lymphocytic infiltrates. A literature search using PubMed indicates that this phenomenon has not been previously reported. The cases demonstrate the chronicity of Sweet's lesions in association with haematological disease and the need for repeat biopsies to make the diagnosis. We also describe successful treatment with cyclophosphamide, which adds to the list of second-line drugs that may be used in Sweet's syndrome.