Prevalence Of Hidradenitis Suppurativa Research Articles

Hidradenitis suppurativa and inflammatory bowel disease: are they associated? Results of a pilot study

Background The co-occurrence of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) and Crohn disease (CD) published in a few case reports resulted in the wide acceptance of an association between these two diseases. However, the combined prevalence of these diseases is currently unknown; furthermore, it is unknown whether this co-occurrence also applies for ulcerative colitis (UC). Objectives To estimate the prevalence of HS in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) living in the Southwest of the Netherlands. Methods During an IBD patient information meeting, randomly, 158 patients with IBD were interviewed about recurrent painful boils in the axillae and/or groin and were shown illustrative clinical pictures of the appearance of HS. Results Of the 158 patients interviewed, 102 (65%) had CD and 56 (35%) had UC. Twenty-five people (16%) responded that they had had or still experienced painful boils in the axillae and/or groin, of whom 17 were patients with CD (17%) and eight had UC (14%). Conclusions This pilot study shows for the first time that HS occurs in patients with CD or UC. More prospective studies are warranted to establish the association between HS and IBD and its underlying pathogenesis.

A case-control study of hidradenitis suppurativa in an STD population.

The prevalence of hidradenitis suppurativa has been found to be higher among patients attending an STD clinic than in an unselected general population sample. The aetiology of hidradenitis in unknown, but an association with chlamydial infections has been suggested for perineal lesions. Our aim was to describe the history of STD, STD risk factors and possible current STD in patients with hidradenitis. A case-control study comparing patients with hidradenitis (20) and controls (60) was therefore made in patients attending an STD clinic. Genital HPV infection was found to be more common in patients with hidradenitis (p = 0.036), but no differences were seen in the history of STD, STD risk behaviour or other current STD between the two groups studied. HPV infection appears to be the only STD which is more common in hidradenitis patients, but the biological significance of this finding is not clear. It is speculated that common predisposing factors may be responsible. We were unable to support the previously postulated association between Chlamydia trachomatis infection and hidradenitis.