Dapsone for Recalcitrant Eosinophilic Annular Erythema: A Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract

Eosinophilic annular erythema (EAE) is a rare entity of unknown etiology that is possibly related to a hypersensitivity reaction and presents as annular erythematous plaques with tissue eosinophilia. It is classified as a figurate erythema with a controversial relationship to Wells syndrome (WS) in the literature, where it is generally considered a separate entity or subset based on clinical and histopathologic differences. EAE typically presents with recurrent, erythematous, arcuate, and annular plaques on the trunk and proximal extremities. The course of the disease is often chronic, recurrent, and relapsing. Responses to treatment are variable but are typically best with systemic steroids and antimalarials. We report a patient refractory to other therapies who had a striking response to dapsone.