HIV seronegative eosinophilic pustular folliculitis successfully treated with doxicycline

Abstract:

Eosinophilic pustular folliculitis (EPF) is an unusual disease, first described in adult East Asians in 1970 by Ofuji. It is characterized by follicular papules and pustules tending to coalesce and form plaques involving the trunk, face and extremities. In recent years, it has been often associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection or with immunosuppressed and/or oncohaematological patients. EPF has been described in immunocompetent adult caucasian patients only occasionally. The diagnosis requires clinical and microbiological features such as sterile folliculitis and histopathological findings characterized by folliculitis and perifolliculitis with eosinophilic infiltrate. We describe an HIV seronegative caucasian male with EPF, allergic to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and indomethacin, treated with oral doxicycline. The treatment led to the complete remission of the lesions within 2 months.

Keywords: doxicycline; eosinophilic pustular folliculitis; immunocompetent host; Ofuji disease

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-3083.2004.00948.x

Affiliations: 1: Clinica Dermatologica, Università di Pavia, IRCCS-Policlinico S. Matteo, Piazza C. Golgi, 2, 27100 Pavia, Italy.