A case of eosinophilic cellulitis in an 8-year-old child

Eosinophilic cellulitis is a rare, recurrent dermatosis which was first described by Wells in 1971. The etiology and pathogenesis of eosinophilic cellulitis are currently unknown, but a type IV hypersensitivity to various antigens followed by vascular damage seems to play a role in the pathogenesis of eosinophilic cellulitis. Most cases of eosinophilic cellulitis occur in adults. Only 29 cases have been reported in children. Generally, pediatric cases are recurrent but show good response to systemic steroids. We present a case of eosinophilic cellulitis in an 8-year-old boy. Who presented with acute onset of erythematous plaques on both thighs. These lesions were pruritic but not painful. A skin biopsy specimen showed dense mixed inflammatory infiltrations that consisted mostly of eosinophils, lymphocytes and histiocytes. Flame figures surrounded by eosinophils and histocytes and foci of degenerated collagen bundles were observed in the dermis. The lesions resolved rapidly after the initiation of oral steroid therapy. After 6 months, the patient has not experienced recurrence of the disease.