Neonatal eosinophilic pustular folliculitis

Eosinophilic pustular folliculitis (EPF) of infancy is a rare disorder which may begin in the neonatal period and cause considerable parental anxiety. It must be distinguished from other causes of a pustular eruption in neonates, including infection and erythema toxicum neonatorum, and rare disorders such as transient neonatal pustular melanosis, infantile acropustulosis and Langerhans' cell histiocytosis. Skin smears and occasionally skin biopsy may be necessary to reach a diagnosis. We report a case of a Caucasian child with an unusually early onset of EPF in the first day of life. We wish to emphasize the importance of recognizing this self-limiting condition in order to prevent inappropriate antimicrobial treatment.