Infantile Eosinophilic Pustular Folliculitis: A Case Report

Infantile eosinophilic pustular folliculitis (I-EPF) is a rare disease characterized by pruritic vesicles and sterile pustules on the erythematous surface of the scalp and facial localization, usually seen in the neonatal period. It is essential to show the presence of dense eosinophils in the diagnosis of pustules. Histopathological examination of the hair follicles by eosinophils infiltration is determined.

Here, we reported a 5-month-old baby boy diagnosed infantile eosinophilic pustular folliculitis.

A 5-month-old baby boy was consulted to our polyclinic by his family because of pustules on the scalp, face, and neck developing in two week after birth. In dermatological examination, the pustular lesions of 1-2 mm in diameter on the scalp, face, and neck on an erythematous background were determined.

There was no growth in the culture taken from the pustule. In the laboratory tests of the patient; upon detection of eosinophilia in the hemogram. The eosinophil count at the patient's first admission was 1.48 K/μl. (0.05 0.50). Eosinophil count was 0.02 K/μl after treatment. It was decreased. The patient was evaluated for other pustular dermatoses. In the differential diagnosis of the patient; causing bacterial/non-bacterial pustulosis were included. Bacterial culture was negative.

Eosinophilic folliculitis defines as a group of papulopustular diseases with unknown etiology characterized histologically by eosinophilic infiltrates. First, Ofuji reported a female patient with recurrent follicular pustules and peripheral eosinophilia as a variant of folliculitis in 1965. Its etiopathogenesis is not clearly known. In the differential diagnosis of EPF includes the other pustular lesions of the newborn such as erythematoxicum neonatarum, transient neonatal pustular dermatosis, infantile acropustulosis, scabies, dermatophytosis, and langerhans cell histiocytosis. Treatment options includes topical corticosteroids and calcineurin inhibitors, antihistamines, systemic antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agents, and dapson.