Isolated symptomatic cutaneous disease in hypereosinophilic syndrome

Abstract

A 41-year-old Phillipino man presented with a 3-year history of a relapsing and remitting generalized chronic pruritic erythematous papular and plaque-like eruption. Investigations showed a persistently elevated eosinophil count. His disease was limited to cutaneous involvement with an absence of demonstrable internal organ involvement, despite extensive investigations and multidisciplinary review. Other causes of eosinophilia were excluded. A diagnosis of idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome was made. Our patient's presentation raises a number of issues related to hypereosinophilic syndrome. In particular, relating to managing hypereosinophilic syndrome and the challenge of minimizing therapy side-effects. Our case highlights the considerable morbidity of untreated isolated cutaneous disease, for which he was hospitalized with suicidal ideations. In a minority of reports, skin involvement is the only manifestation of hypereosinophilic syndrome.

Clinical and histopathological features of hypereosinophilic syndrome with cutaneous involvement: The Mayo Clinic Experience

“…As in previously reports, 21–25 skin was the sole organ affected in HES in a minor proportion of our 150 patients with HES (6.7%). To our knowledge, this is the first study attempting to describe the spectrum of internal organ system involvement in patients with cHES.…”

Idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome with cutaneous involvement: a comparative review of 32 cases

“…After removing duplicate and redundant articles, 25 papers were included in the present study for the final review and analysis. A thorough reading of these articles yielded a total of 32 cases of idiopathic HES with cutaneous involvement 5–29. A comprehensive review of these case reports indicated a slight male predominance (male, n = 19; female, n = 13).…”