Sweet's syndrome.

Two women are reported both of whom exhibited, after an episode of an upper respiratory tract infection, painful, erythematous, sharply demarcated plaque-like lesions on the extremities, in combination with fever. In addition, one woman also had acute polyarthritis and episcleritis. The histological features of the lesions showed a perivascular neutrophilic infiltration in the dermis without signs of vasculitis, pathognomonic of Sweet's syndrome. One patient was successfully treated, initially with aspirin and later prednisone, the other with potassium iodide. Recognition of this syndrome is important in view of the dramatic response to treatment, particularly corticosteroids.