Type 2 leprosy reaction resembling Sweet syndrome: Review of new and published cases.

A leprosy reaction resembling Sweet syndrome was first described in 1987. This cutaneous manifestation can be classified as the type 2 reaction which arises from antigen-antibody interaction. It can occur in patients with diagnosed or undiagnosed leprosy, and men with borderline leprosy tend to exhibit this type of reaction. Triggering factors may include WHO multibacillary treatment or prescription antibiotics. Several reports of this clinical phenomenon have been published, making physicians consider it as part of this spectrum of the disease. Treatment regime can include systemic steroids and thalidomide.