Atypical clinical appearance of eosinophilic pustular folliculitis of seborrheic areas of the face

• Published in: EJD. European journal of dermatology Vol. 22; no. 5; p. 658
• Main Authors: Matsumura, Yumi, Miyachi, Yoshiki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: France 01.09.2012
• Subjects: Adult; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - therapeutic use; Diagnosis, Differential; Eosinophilia - drug therapy; Eosinophilia - pathology; Facial Dermatoses - drug therapy; Facial Dermatoses - pathology; Female; Folliculitis - drug therapy; Folliculitis - pathology; Humans; Immunosuppressive Agents - therapeutic use; Indomethacin - therapeutic use; Male; Middle Aged; ortho-Aminobenzoates - therapeutic use; Recurrence; Skin Diseases, Vesiculobullous - drug therapy; Skin Diseases, Vesiculobullous - pathology; Tacrolimus - therapeutic use
• ISSN: 1952-4013
• DOI: 10.1684/ejd.2012.1825

Eosinophilic pustular folliculitis is a pruritic eruption that preferentially involves the face. It is characterized by well-demarcated erythema, extending peripherally with a central clearing and pigmentation, together with sterile pustules lining the periphery. We describe five cases of eosinophilic pustular folliculitis with pruritic papules and erythema on seborrheic areas of the face, which lacked the typical features of classic eosinophilic pustular folliculitis--pustules and peripheral extension--but showed eosinophilic infiltration of the hair follicles, histologically. The eruption quickly responded to oral indomethacin except for one case that responded to tranilast and one case that was associated with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, with recurrences in defined areas of the face. Our findings in these cases suggest that eosinophilic pustular folliculitis may vary in clinical appearance.