Hidradenitis Suppurativa
Foundation, Inc.
What is Hidradenitis Suppurativa?
What is Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS)?
HS is a common, painful, debilitating, and chronic inflammatory skin disease affecting 1% of the global population, primarily occurring in inverse areas of the skin, e.g. axillae and groin. HS variably presents clinically with painful and chronically recurring, deep-seated follicular nodules, papules, pustules and abscesses, leading to suppuration, fibrosis, distortion, degradation and hypertrophic scarring of the skin. The etiology/pathogenesis/cause of HS is not known. HS remains a distinct and separate disease. In the past, direct comparisons of HS to sweat gland and acne diseases have delayed the planning and development of focused HS research which could discover the actual cause. The following published articles and medical perspectives provide general information which further defines and describes HS.
2003 Hidradenitis Suppurativa by Gregor BE Jemec [1]
2001 Investigation: Hidradenitis Suppurativa by Jan von der Werth [2]
Expert Medical Perspectives
Distribution of lesions: The frequency of each localization is different in men and women. Axillary involvement has no gender predilection whereas genito-femoral lesions are significantly more common in women. In contrast perianal and perineal as well as buttock lesions are significantly more common in men. One or several sites may be involved in the same patient, and activity in the sites may vary as well. New regions may be involved at the same time as the disease burns out in regions previously affected. One site may be quiescent, while another experiences a flare. In general, lesions are roughly symmetrical, indicating a systemic disease rather than local infection.[3]
Delayed diagnosis: The varying sites involved and the non-specific nature of early lesions mean that patients with HS are referred to many different specialists. Unfortunately, the disease is not well known to many general practitioners and other non-dermatology specialists. This may cause delay in the diagnosis and treatment, and consequently in passing information to the patients. Failure to recognize HS, failure to give a correct diagnosis and advice on how to manage this chronic disease are therefore common and add to patients’ severe distress and impairment of quality of life. [3]
Acknowledgements & References
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