Pediatric sweet syndrome: case report and literature review

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Dermatology
• Hematology
• Immunology

Background:

• Sweet syndrome, also known as acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis, is an inflammatory condition.
• It is characterized by fever, neutrophilia, and a distinctive skin rash.
• While often associated with hematologic malignancies in adults, its presentation and associations in children differ.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a case of pediatric Sweet syndrome following an upper respiratory tract infection.
• To conduct a comprehensive literature review of pediatric Sweet syndrome cases.
• To analyze age-related differences in presentation, associations, and outcomes of pediatric Sweet syndrome.

Main Methods:

• Case report of an 18-month-old boy with Sweet syndrome.
• Systematic literature review of 66 reported pediatric Sweet syndrome cases.
• Comparative analysis of cases based on age (under vs. over 3 years).

Main Results:

• The case presented with typical Sweet syndrome features post-infection and responded to oral prednisolone without evidence of malignancy.
• Literature review identified 66 pediatric cases.
• Cases under 3 years showed male predominance and no malignancy association, contrasting with older children who had equal sex distribution and strong links to myeloid malignancies.

Conclusions:

• Pediatric Sweet syndrome can present typically after infections and is treatable with corticosteroids.
• Age is a critical factor in the clinical presentation and associated risks of Sweet syndrome in children.
• While generally less severe than in adults, pediatric Sweet syndrome carries significant risks, particularly cardiovascular involvement, with a notable mortality rate.