title: Sweet syndrome: clinical presentation, associations, and response to treatment in 77 patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sweet syndrome is a neutrophilic dermatosis with cutaneous tender lesions that can be associated with malignancies, infections, systemic inflammatory disorders, and medications. Although numerous studies have described Sweet syndrome, few studies have systematically investigated Sweet syndrome.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We sought to describe characteristics and treatments of patients with Sweet syndrome and evaluate clinical differences depending on the underlying cause.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study was conducted to identify patients with Sweet syndrome evaluated at Mayo Clinic from 1992 to 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 77 patients with Sweet syndrome (mean age of onset 57 years), 43 (56%) were male. Eighteen patients (23%) reported a preceding infection. A total of 41 (53%) patients were classified as having classic Sweet syndrome, 27 (35%) patients had malignancy-associated Sweet syndrome, and in 9 (12%) patients drug-induced Sweet syndrome was considered. In all, 21 patients had a hematologic malignancy or myeloproliferative/myelodysplastic disorder, whereas 6 patients had solid tumors. The mean hemoglobin level, in both male and female patients (P < .0443 and P < .0035, respectively), was significantly lower in malignancy-associated versus classic and drug-induced Sweet syndrome. Systemic corticosteroids were the most frequently used treatment (70%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is a retrospective study and represents patients from a single academic center.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sweet syndrome is a distinctive disorder with certain clinical and histologic characteristics, which usually has a complete response to systemic corticosteroids. It is important to evaluate Sweet syndrome patients who have laboratory evidence of anemia for an underlying malignancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota.
authors.forename: Nicole M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Rochet
authors.forename: Rahul N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Chavan
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Cappel
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: Lawrence E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Gibson
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D003879:Dermatologic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D016463:Sweet Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D003879:Dermatologic Agents
keywords: MDS; MPD; Sweet syndrome; drug-induced Sweet syndrome; malignancy-associated Sweet syndrome; myelodysplastic syndrome; myeloproliferative disorder; treatment