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Bullous Sweet syndrome as a presentation of chronic myelogenous leukaemia
  1. Syeda Wajiha Abbas1,
  2. Zarnain Shah1 and
  3. Mohammad Usman Shaikh2
  1. 1Internal Medicine, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
  2. 2Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Oncology, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
  1. Correspondence to Dr Zarnain Shah; zarnain.shah{at}aku.edu

Abstract

A woman in her 40s presented with a 3-month-long history of fever and tender erythematous bullous skin lesions not responsive to antibiotics. There had been no previous gastrointestinal, respiratory or urinary infection, nor did she have any history of autoimmune disease, drug reaction or vasculitis.

Histological evaluation of skin biopsy showed diffuse dense neutrophilic infiltrates located in dermis diagnostic of Sweet syndrome. Haematological investigations showed leucocytosis with circulating immature cells, which on further investigations with bone marrow biopsy, were evident of chronic myelogenous leukaemia in the accelerated phase. Sweet syndrome was the presenting characteristic of chronic myelogenous leukaemia in this case, which is a rare association. Investigating unusual skin lesions can aid in the suspicion of underlying cancer, allowing for prompt action.

  • Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
  • Dermatology
  • Haematology (drugs and medicines)
  • Malignant and Benign haematology

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Footnotes

  • Contributors SWA and ZS have equally contributed to the identification of the case, drafting of the manuscript and literature search. MUS revised it critically for important intellectual content and was the primary physician.

  • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

  • Case reports provide a valuable learning resource for the scientific community and can indicate areas of interest for future research. They should not be used in isolation to guide treatment choices or public health policy.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.