Indomethacin treatment of eighteen patients with Sweet's syndrome.
BACKGROUND
The standard treatment for Sweet's syndrome (acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis) is oral corticosteroids. Despite a good initial response, the disease is characterized by frequent relapses.


OBJECTIVE
Our purpose was to test the therapeutic effect of the nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug indomethacin on Sweet's syndrome.


METHODS
All patients with Sweet's syndrome observed during a 4-year period were given indomethacin, 150 mg/day for the first week and 100 mg/day for two additional weeks. The therapeutic response was assessed on days 4, 7, 14, 30, and 180.


RESULTS
Seventeen of 18 patients had a good initial response; fever and arthralgias were markedly attenuated within 48 hours and eruptions cleared between 7 and 14 days. The remaining patient's cutaneous lesions continued to develop and were successfully treated with prednisone (1 mg/kg/day). The only side effect of indomethacin treatment was epigastric pain in two patients. No patient had a relapse after discontinuation of indomethacin (mean followup, 20.1 months).


CONCLUSIONS
Indomethacin is a safe and effective treatment for Sweet's syndrome.
Jeanfils
S
S
Dermatology Clinic, Hôpital Charles Nicolle, Rouen, France.
Joly
P
P
Young
P
P
Le Corvaisier-Pieto
C
C
Thomine
E
E
Lauret
P
P
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007213:Indomethacin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016463:Sweet Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D007213:Indomethacin