Case and review: Cutaneous involvement by chronic neutrophilic leukemia vs Sweet syndrome- A diagnostic dilemma

Chronic neutrophilic leukemia (CNL) is a rare leukemia with approximately 150 total cases reported. Cutaneous neutrophilic infiltrates, including Sweet syndrome (SS) and leukemia cutis (LC), have been reported in six patients with CNL. In the setting of CNL, these two conditions are difficult to differentiate due to clinical and histopathological similarities, but it is important to do so because LC is associated with a worse prognosis. In general, SS is distinguished by its tenderness, fever, and improvement with steroids (vs chemotherapy for LC). Biopsy of LC reveals immature leukocytes, whereas SS shows almost exclusively mature leukocytes, but morphology alone may not be sufficient in some cases. Here, we report a case of a 72-year-old male with CNL and a cutaneous eruption with clinical and pathological features which made the distinction between the two diseases difficult.