Sweet's syndrome

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Risk factors

By Mayo Clinic staff

Sweet's syndrome is uncommon, but certain factors increase your risk, including:

  • Being a woman. Women are far more likely to have idiopathic Sweet's syndrome than men are.
  • Being between 30 and 50 years of age. Though older adults and even infants can develop Sweet's syndrome, the condition mainly affects women between the ages of 30 and 50.
  • Having other health problems. Sweet's syndrome often follows an upper respiratory infection, and many people report having flu-like symptoms before the rash appears. Sweet's syndrome can also be associated with a number of other illnesses, including inflammatory bowel disease, certain systemic infections and cancer.
  • Being pregnant. Some pregnant women develop Sweet's syndrome during their first or second trimester. In these cases, the condition usually clears without treatment.
  • A previous history of the condition. Sweet's syndrome tends to recur. About one-third of people who have had Sweet's syndrome once get it again.
References
  1. Farhi D, et al. The neutrophilic dermatoses. Dermatology Nursing. 2008;20:274.
  2. Moschella SL. Neutrophilic dermatoses. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html/. Accessed April 5, 2010.
  3. Sweet's syndrome: A dermatologic condition associated with fever and frequently confused with an infectious process. In: Mandell GL, et al. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennet's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06839-3..00052-7--s0060&uniq=193269557&isbn=978-0-443-06839-3&sid=978680989#lpState=open&lpTab=contentsTab&content=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06839-3..00052-7--s0060%3Bfrom%3Dtoc%3Btype%3DbookPage%3Bisbn%3D978-0-443-06839-3. Accessed April 5, 2010.
  4. Cohen PR. Sweet's syndrome — A comprehensive review of an acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis. Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases. 2007;2:34.
  5. Franks AG Jr. Skin manifestations of internal disease. Medical Clinics of North America. 2009;93:1265.
  6. Colchicine: Drugdex Evaluations. Micromedex Healthcare Series. http://www.micromedex.com. Accessed April 5, 2010.
DS00752 June 24, 2010

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