Eosinophilic folliculitis: a self-limiting illness in patients being treated for haematological malignancy

Abstract

Eosinophilic folliculitis is a recognized skin manifestation of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease. Five cases of eosinophilic folliculitis occurring in HIV-negative patients treated for haematological malignancy are reported. In four cases this self-limiting, pruritic eruption, affecting the head and upper trunk, occurred 3 months after bone marrow transplantation, and the fifth case was a patient undergoing chemotherapy for Waldenström's macroglobulinaemia. This suggests that eosinophilic folliculitis is a consequence of disturbances of immune function, and is not specific for HIV infection.