Abscess-forming neutrophilic dermatosis: Report of three cases associated with hemopathies

Background: The development of different types of neutrophilic dermatosis is reported to occur in the course of malignant hemopathies. These concern mainly Sweet's syndrome, pyoderma gangrenosum, erythema elevatum et diutinum and neutrophilic eccrine hidradenitis. Observations: We have recently encountered the cases of 3 patients who presented all with multiple acneiform papules and dome-shaped aseptic abscesses leaving scars. Pus was sterile in all except case 3 in which slight Staphylococcus aureus growth was shown. However, in this patient, only steroids were effective demonstrating that this bacterium was not responsible for the disease. Histopathology disclosed a dense dermal polymorphonuclear neutrophil infiltrate and some mononuclear cells. Two of these patients had myelodysplastic syndromes while one had IgA myeloma. Conclusion: Abscess-forming neutrophilic dermatosis seems to be another type of neutrophilic dermatosis associated with hematological malignancies.