ABSCESS-FORMING NEUTROPHILIC DERMATOSIS - REPORT OF 3 CASES ASSOCIATED WITH HEMOPATHIES

Background: The development of different types of neutrophilic dermato sis is reported to occur in the course of malignant hemopathies. These concern mainly Sweet's syndrome, pyoderma gangrenosum, erythema eleva tum et diutinum and neutrophilic eccrine hidradenitis. Observations: W e have recently encountered the cases of 3 patients who presented all with multiple acneiform papules and dome-shaped aseptic abscesses leav ing scars. Pus was sterile in all except case 3 in which slight Staphy lococcus aureus growth was shown. However, in this patient, only stero ids were effective demonstrating that this bacterium was not responsib le for the disease. Histopathology disclosed a dense dermal polymorpho nuclear neutrophil infiltrate and some mononuclear cells. Two of these patients had myelodysplastic syndromes while one had IgA myeloma. Con clusion: Abscess-forming neutrophilic dermatosis seems to be another t ype of neutrophilic dermatosis associated with hematological malignanc ies.