A not so 'sweet’ cause of fevers, cough and chest pain

Abstract

Sweet's syndrome, also known as acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis, is an uncommon skin condition that consists of pyrexia and acute onset, painful and inflamed skin lesions. It is also often accompanied by other systemic features, where it is best regarded as a systemic inflammatory response. This response may be secondary to various triggers that include respiratory tract infections, autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, haematological malignancies, and drugs to name a few. In some cases, however, it may be idiopathic. Treatment with systemic steroids helps improve the symptoms quickly, but an underlying cause needs to be considered and treated. 1,2