Successful treatment of steroid-dependent eosinophilic cellulitis with cyclosporine

Eosinophilic cellulitis (EC) is a rare idiopathic disorder, first described as a "recurrent granulomatous dermatitis with eosinophilia", that mimics cellulitis of infectious origin. We describe here a previously healthy 11-year-old girl who experienced fever and tender erythematous patch lesions after trauma to her knees. Because of the relapsing cellulitis-like skin lesions, skin biopsies were taken, resulting in a diagnosis of EC. The patient responded well to oral prednisolone but experienced side effects and relapse during dose tapering. She was switched from prednisolone to cyclosporine. Her EC remained under control, and she showed no evidence of relapse after discontinuation of cyclosporine.