Sweet's syndrome and sarcoidosis

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Rheumatology
• Internal Medicine

Background:

• Sweet's syndrome (SS) is an inflammatory condition characterized by fever, neutrophilia, and tender, cutaneous, erythematous papules and plaques.
• Sarcoidosis is a multisystem inflammatory disease of unknown etiology characterized by non-caseating granulomas.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and analyze cases of Sweet's syndrome associated with sarcoidosis reported in the English literature.
• To identify clinical characteristics and prognostic implications of the co-occurrence of SS and sarcoidosis.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review of reported cases of Sweet's syndrome and sarcoidosis.
• Analysis of patient demographics, clinical presentation, and disease course.
• Comparison of patients with co-occurring SS and sarcoidosis versus SS alone.

Main Results:

• Simultaneous diagnosis of SS and sarcoidosis was observed in all reviewed cases.
• Patients with both conditions were younger, had higher rates of fever, and exhibited distinct skin lesion patterns (less facial/trunk, more upper limb, atypical papules).
• The association appears linked to acute sarcoidosis, specifically Lofgren's syndrome.

Conclusions:

• Sweet's syndrome associated with sarcoidosis, particularly Lofgren's syndrome, represents a distinct clinical subset with a benign and self-limiting course.
• This combination may serve as a favorable prognostic indicator for sarcoidosis.
• Despite SS's typical high recurrence rate, no recurrences were noted in this patient group during follow-up.