[Adult idiopathic neutrophilic eccrine hidradenitis treated with colchicine].

BACKGROUND

Neutrophilic eccrine hidradenitis (NEH) is a rare disease belonging to the group of neutrophilic dermatoses. It has a characteristic histopathologic pattern, with necrosis of the eccrine glands and a local neutrophilic infiltrate. It occurs mostly in patients receiving chemotherapy for acute myeloblastic leukemia or, less frequently, another malignancy. Its occurrence in healthy patients is rare.

METHODS

We report the case of a 56-year-old woman with no remarkable medical history who developed an erythematous papular facial eruption. Skin biopsy showed typical features of neutrophilic eccrine hidradenitis including neutrophilic infiltrate. No cause was found. The patient was successfully treated with colchicine.

CONCLUSIONS

This case is particular because NEH was not associated with malignant hematologic disease, solid cancer, chemotherapy, fever or any other disease, after a follow-up of 22 months. Such idiopathic NEH has been reported only rarely in adults. The second particularity is the length of the eruption, which required colchicine treatment. Clinical improvement occurred within 1 month. Because hematologic malignancies can in some cases be preceded by neutrophilic dermatitis, clinical follow-up is recommended in adults.