Hidradenitis suppurativa
GBE Jemec - New England Journal of Medicine, 2012 - Mass Medical Soc
New England Journal of Medicine, 2012•Mass Medical Soc
Key Clinical Points Hidradenitis Suppurativa Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic, recurrent
inflammatory disease affecting skin that bears apocrine glands. It is manifested as painful,
deep-seated, inflamed lesions, including nodules, sinus tracts, and abscesses, and is
estimated to affect 1% of the population. A long delay in diagnosis is common, since the
disease is often mistaken for a simple infection. Lesions treated with incision and drainage
routinely recur. Few randomized trials have been carried out to guide care, but observational …
inflammatory disease affecting skin that bears apocrine glands. It is manifested as painful,
deep-seated, inflamed lesions, including nodules, sinus tracts, and abscesses, and is
estimated to affect 1% of the population. A long delay in diagnosis is common, since the
disease is often mistaken for a simple infection. Lesions treated with incision and drainage
routinely recur. Few randomized trials have been carried out to guide care, but observational …
Key Clinical Points
Hidradenitis Suppurativa
- Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic, recurrent inflammatory disease affecting skin that bears apocrine glands.
- It is manifested as painful, deep-seated, inflamed lesions, including nodules, sinus tracts, and abscesses, and is estimated to affect 1% of the population.
- A long delay in diagnosis is common, since the disease is often mistaken for a simple infection.
- Lesions treated with incision and drainage routinely recur.
- Few randomized trials have been carried out to guide care, but observational data suggest that many patients have improvement after treatment with antibiotics; a tetracycline or a combination of clindamycin and rifampin is often used.
- For more severe disease, treatment may involve immunosuppressive agents such as inhibitors of tumor necrosis factor α, although results of randomized trials have been inconsistent.
- For recalcitrant lesions, complete removal by surgical excision or laser therapy often results in local clearing.
The New England Journal Of Medicine