P152. A RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW OF LASER THERAPY FOR TREATMENT OF HIDRADENITIS SUPPURATIVA

Abstract

PURPOSE: Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by painful and foul-smelling cystic nodules and sinus tracts in apocrine gland-bearing regions. The treatment ranges from topical, intralesional, systemic, and surgical modalities. Currently, the most novel therapy is the use of laser therapy to create a localized treatment without systemic side effects. However, there is limited data about patient outcomes of the laser treatment due to the low prevalence of the disease. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the efficacy of laser therapy as a treatment modality for patients with HS. METHODS: A retrospective review cohort analysis of HS patients undergoing laser treatment from 2016-2021 was conducted. Patient demographics, location of lesions, Hurley stage, age of onset and diagnosis, treatment length, type, outcomes, and complications were analyzed. RESULTS: Eighty-six patients met the inclusion criteria: On average, patients were treated with 5.6 laser sessions for 17 months without any complications and minor blood loss. HS progression commonly started during puberty, with a median onset of 13.8 years and diagnosis of HS at 16.3 years. All of the patients (n=86) showed an improvement of HS disease severity: 52% completed treatment, 16% currently ongoing treatment, and 31% were lost to follow up. CONCLUSION: Laser therapy is an effective and safe therapy for HS leading to improved quality of life and could be considered in the treatment algorithm for disease management.