SWEETS-SYNDROME IN A PATIENT WITH ACUTE PROMYELOCYTIC LEUKEMIA DURINGTREATMENT WITH ALL-TRANS-RETINOIC ACID

A 53-year-old man with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) treated with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) developed fever and small erythemas on his arms and legs when the peripheral blood neutrophil count had incr eased. Erythemas gradually enlarged and painful subcutaneous nodules a ppeared. Skin biopsy revealed dense neutrophil infiltration in the der mis without vasculitis. These findings were compatible with Sweet's sy ndrome. Treatment with ATRA for APL was continued and no other additio nal therapy for Sweet's syndrome was performed. The syndrome was spont aneously improved in parallel with improvement of APL. In addition to this case report, three previously reported cases were reviewed to cla rify the clinical characteristics of Sweet's syndrome in patients with APL during treatment with ATRA.