Sweet’s Syndrome

Sweet’s Syndrome General Information

People who suffer from skin disorders must be very well informed about them because these types of medical conditions may be difficult to treat and may affect the patient’s quality of life. A very common skin condition is Sweet’s Syndrome, also known as acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis that develops more commonly in middle-aged women. This disorder can also affect older adults, men and even children. In many patients, the exact cause of this medical disorder is idiopathic (impossible or hard to discover). Sweet’s Syndrome can occur with various types of cancer or other severe medical problems or can be triggered by certain medicines (such as NSAIDs-non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), illnesses or infections.

This skin disorder is also considered a sign of the patient’s immune system to one or more of the following: bowel cancer, pregnancy, blood disorders (acute myelogenous leukemia), rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, breast cancer, Crohn’s disease etc. Also, there are several risk factors that increase your chances of developing this health problem, including: age, medical history, the patient’s sex, pregnancy or other medical conditions, as the ones mentioned before. The main signs and symptoms of this medical condition are painful lesions on the surface of the skin from your arms, back, face and neck and sudden onset of fever. These are not very serious manifestations and Sweet’s Syndrome will usually clear on its own in a few months, or even weeks. But the process of healing is much more rapid with a proper treatment. Systemic corticosteroids are often preferred.

Sweet’s Syndrome Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of Sweet’s Syndrome are very obvious and distinctive and appear as skin lesions that usually develop according to a certain pattern. All the specific symptoms are experienced by the majority of patients, although some of them have accused particular and unique manifestations. This happens because our immune system reacts in a different way when it is in danger. In this second chapter of our presentation we will enumerate some of the most encountered signs of Sweet’s Syndrome. If you still have questions, we advise you to contact your health care provider or other specialist, usually called a dermatologist.

In the first stages of this skin disorder, small red bumps appear suddenly on certain areas of the body, especially on the face, neck, arms and back, especially after an upper respiratory infection or fever. These bumps get larger very quickly and spread into plaques (clusters) that are around one centimeter (cm) in diameter. The eruptions can be tender or painful and may develop pustules, blisters and even ulcers. Along these skin lesions, patients may experience tiredness, mouth ulcers, moderate or high fever, headache, sore eyes, aching joints, conjunctivitis (pink eye), etc. Although these symptoms are not serious, they can cause discomfort to all the patients. The lesions specific for Sweet’s Syndrome usually persist for weeks and even months and then, they may disappear on their own, even if the patient is not following any specific treatment option. Recurrences are very common and affect one in ten patients.

Sweet’s Syndrome Treatment

Most skin disorders, if are discovered in time and treated properly, they resolve completely in a matter of weeks, without major complications. This is why, we strongly advise you to contact your health care provider or any other trained specialist, usually a dermatologist as soon as you start experiencing any of the signs and symptoms that we have listed above. Skin disorders are noticeable and can be diagnosed rapidly; the challenge comes in the moment the doctor must distinguish them so that he can apply the adequate therapy. Sweet’s Syndrome is not so rare and often occurs after an infection of the upper respiratory tract. If you observe a rash that appears on certain areas of your skin, immediately call a doctor. Usually, the rash caused by Sweet’s Syndrome disappears on its own without a treatment, but adequate medication can help this rash to resolve in just a few days and not weeks or months.

This skin disorder can also be a sign of more serious medical conditions, for example leukemia or certain infections. The dermatologist can easily detect this syndrome simply by analyzing the lesions that may also indicate other conditions. It is very important for every doctor to do several tests in order to rule out other similar skin problems. Tissue samples and blood tests are the most commonly used tests to search for underlying causes. After receiving the results of these tests, the health care provider must proceed immediately with the proper treatment option. Without treatment and if the Sweet’s Syndrome is not a symptom of a more serious condition, the patient may fully recover within two to four months.

Medication therapy is usually used because it improves the skin lesions and other associated signs and symptoms in just three to five days. The worst of the lesions will resolve within one week to one month. The lesions rarely leave a scar or a mark, even if they resolved on their own or with treatment. The recurrence of the Sweet’s Syndrome is very common and your health care provider may recommend you to continue the treatment even after the rash is gone. The most commonly used drugs to treat this disorder are the systemic corticosteroids, such as Prednisone and Prednisolone. These are actually oral anti-inflammatory medications that reduce the allergic reactions, such as itching, redness or swelling.

Systemic corticosteroids offer great results and rapid improvement of the patient’s health status. Sometimes, an adjuvant therapy is needed, for example Cyclosporine, Dapsone, Colchicine, Doxycycline, Indomethacin or Potassium Iodide. The negative aspect about this treatment option is that a long-term medication often causes severe adverse effects. For example eye disorders, increased risk of hard-to-treat infections, diabetes or osteoporosis. Swelling may be relieved immediately with topical corticosteroids. The home remedies and lifestyle are also important when dealing with Sweet’s Syndrome. If you have lesions on the surface of your skin, you must avoid damage or injuries and apply sunscreen with a SPF (sun protection factor) of 20 or greater.