Two children are described with the Sweet syndrome (acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis), a rare skin disorder usually seen in middle-aged women. Typical features include spiking fever, neutrophilic leukocytosis, raised painful erythematous plaques and nodules reflecting a cutaneous dermal infiltrate composed of polymorphonuclear leukocytes, and rapid resolution in response to systemically administered corticosteroid. The eruption is believed to represent a hypersensitivity reaction to antecedent infection or concurrent malignancy.