Sweet Syndrome as the Presenting Symptom of Relapsed Hairy Cell Leukemia
December 2002
in “
Archives of Dermatology
”
Studysummary This case report describes a 49-year-old woman with Sweet syndrome who experienced complete resolution of skin lesions after a prednisone treatment regimen.
Our plain-language summary. Not medical advice or a treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing treatment. Full disclaimer
In 2002, a 49-year-old woman with a previous diagnosis of hairy cell leukemia (HCL) developed Sweet syndrome, characterized by skin lesions, fever, and joint pain. Despite having normal blood cell counts, a bone marrow biopsy indicated a relapse of HCL with 12-15% leukemic cells. The patient was successfully treated with 2-chlorodeoxyadenosine and prednisone, which resolved the skin condition and normalized blood cell counts. This case highlighted Sweet syndrome as a potential sole indicator of HCL relapse, emphasizing the need to consider hematologic malignancies in Sweet syndrome patients even when blood counts appear normal.
