title: Sweet's syndrome: a cutaneous harbinger of ovarian carcinoma.
abstract: Sweet's syndrome, or acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis, is a condition characterized by fever, neutrophilia, erythematous skin lesions, and a dermal infiltrate consisting predominantly of mature neutrophils on histology. Sweet's syndrome is a reactive phenomenon and should be considered a cutaneous marker of systemic disease, including underlying malignancy. We present a case of a 56-year-old woman who presented with vague abdominal symptoms and a tender, erythematous rash on her extremities. Biopsy of her skin lesions revealed Sweet's syndrome. A work-up for malignancy eventually demonstrated a pelvic mass and carcinomatosis, and a diagnosis of advanced-stage papillary serous ovarian carcinoma was subsequently made. In postmenopausal women who present with Sweet's syndrome, a comprehensive evaluation for malignancy is indicated. In women with a known diagnosis of cancer, Sweet's syndrome may manifest in the detection of persistent or recurrent disease.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Greater Baltimore Medical Center/Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA. ; Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospitals of Cleveland, Seidel Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Amanda Nickles
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Fader
authors.forename: Abigail Duncan
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Winder
authors.forename: Samith
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sandadi
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Debernardo
keywords: Cutaneous rash; Neutrophilia; Ovarian neoplasms; Paraneoplastic syndrome; Sweet's syndrome