The importance of skin biopsies: Sweet syndrome as a differential for ‘acute painful red rash’ in a patient with normal neutrophils and polymyalgia rheumatica on glucocorticoids

摘要

Introduction Cutaneous lesions and skin rashes are commonly encountered on the acute take in acute medical units. Sweet syndrome (SS) is an uncommon inflammatory disorder, originally described as ‘acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis’ by Sweet.1 There are numerous aetiological associations reported and it can be classified as classical, malignancy-associated or drug-induced.2 SS is frequently accompanied by leukocytosis, particularly neutrophilia. SS is characterised by the abrupt appearance of painful, oedematous and erythematous papules, plaques or nodules on the skin. This case emphasises the importance of utilising multidisciplinary team members and their skills such as skin biopsy, in order to achieve the right diagnosis and right treatment in a common presenting complaint.