Manage Sweet’s Syndrome Naturally with Tangs Traditional Chinese Medicine 急性发热性嗜中性皮病
A 50-year-old woman had been feeling unwell for a week, experiencing fever and abdominal pain. On the seventh day, painful bumps appeared on her left hand. Initially resembling small pimples, they transformed into translucent patches over the next two days. Concerned about these developments, she visited the dermatology department at a local hospital. The doctor performed a biopsy and, after further tests, diagnosed her with Sweet’s syndrome, a condition that causes inflamed and painful skin.
Reluctant to take the usual steroid treatment, the patient opted for Tangs herbal medicine, a traditional Chinese remedy, upon her doctor’s suggestion. To her relief, the herbal treatment proved effective. Her fever subsided shortly after beginning the regimen, and within a month, the unusual patches on her hand had completely disappeared. She was pleased to have found a solution that worked for her.

[A] painful nodules and plaques located on the dorsal aspect of the left hand. [B] Erythematous and pustular nodule on the dorsal surfaces of the left hand. [C] (Epidermis of the left thumb) generally normal, with marked oedema of the dermal papillae and superficial dermis, and diffuse infiltration of lymphocytes and neutrophils within the dermis. A diagnosis of Sweet’s syndrome also called acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis) was made. [D] Treatment with oral TCM herbal medicine was initiated. The lesions resolved completely within 30 days.
Discussion
Dr. Sweet described a skin condition in 1964 with four key features: fever, elevated white blood cell count, sudden onset of tender, red skin patches, and neutrophil accumulation in the upper skin layer. This condition was named acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis, or Sweet’s Syndrome (SS). Diagnosis relies on two main signs:
- Sudden appearance of painful or tender red or purple patches or bumps on the skin.
- Predominance of neutrophils in the skin layer without damage to small blood vessels.
The usual treatment involves systemic corticosteroids, such as prednisolone or prednisone, which act quickly. However, if a patient has only a few localized skin spots (covering less than 5% of their body) and no other symptoms, steroids might not be necessary initially. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) herbal therapy could be an alternative, potentially reducing the need for immunosuppressive drugs and speeding up healing. Although formal studies on TCM’s effectiveness for Sweet’s Syndrome are lacking, our experience suggests that herbal TCM could be a useful first-line treatment option.