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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staff
The most obvious signs of Sweet's syndrome are distinctive skin lesions that usually develop according to this pattern:
- A series of small red bumps appear suddenly on your arms, neck, face or back, often after a fever or upper respiratory infection.
- The bumps grow quickly in size, spreading into clusters called plaques that may be up to an inch or so in diameter.
- The eruptions are tender or painful and may develop blisters, pustules or even ulcers.
- Lesions may persist for weeks to months and then disappear on their own, without medication. With medical treatment, you're likely to be free of skin lesions in just a few days.
Other signs and symptoms of Sweet's syndrome may include:
- Moderate to high fever preceding the skin lesions
- Pink eye (conjunctivitis) or sore eyes
- Tiredness
- Aching joints and headache
- Mouth ulcers
When to see a doctor
Sweet's syndrome is rare. When it occurs, it often develops after an upper respiratory tract infection. If you develop a red rash that quickly grows in size soon after a bout with strep throat or another upper respiratory infection, see your doctor for appropriate treatment. Although the rash may eventually disappear without treatment, the right medication can make the rash go away in just a few days.
Sweet's syndrome may also be a reaction to a more serious condition, such as leukemia, or to certain medications.
- Farhi D, et al. The neutrophilic dermatoses. Dermatology Nursing. 2008;20:274.
- Moschella SL. Neutrophilic dermatoses. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html/. Accessed April 5, 2010.
- 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.
- Cohen PR. Sweet's syndrome — A comprehensive review of an acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis. Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases. 2007;2:34.
- Franks AG Jr. Skin manifestations of internal disease. Medical Clinics of North America. 2009;93:1265.
- Colchicine: Drugdex Evaluations. Micromedex Healthcare Series. http://www.micromedex.com. Accessed April 5, 2010.
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