The Great Pretender: Sweet Syndrome and Diabetic Foot Misdiagnosis

In this episode of Diabetic Foot Files, Dr. G explores Sweet Syndrome — an acute neutrophilic dermatosis that can mimic diabetic foot infections with painful red plaques, fever, and elevated inflammatory markers despite negative cultures. We discuss its immunology, cytokine drivers, diagnostic clues, links to malignancy, and why it responds rapidly to steroids. Clinicians will learn how to distinguish immune-driven skin disease from infection to avoid unnecessary antibiotics and procedures, and to consider broader systemic causes when treating atypical diabetic foot lesions.