INTRODUCTION
Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory
disease of the hair follicle, with an estimated incidence
of 0.006%.1 Inflammatory nodules form at apocrine
gland–bearing sites of the axilla, groin, thigh, buttocks,
and breast. The nodules can be highly painful and odorous and
are often complicated by bacterial infections, draining sinuses,
scarring, and fistula and stricture formation. The physical and
psychologic impact of HS has been shown to worsen patient
quality of life.2 Although it may not be routinely used in practice,
the Hurley staging system may be used to classify the severity
of disease in patients with HS.
Hidradenitis suppurativa has no definitive treatment approach.
The goals of treatment are to clear inflammatory nodules and
complicating lesions and to prevent recurrence. To achieve these
goals, clinicians have used various treatments based on disease
severity and other patient-specific considerations. For Hurley
stage I disease, clinicians typically prescribe topical antibiotics,
triamcinolone injections, and occasionally systemic antibiotics. In
general, clinicians also encourage patients to lose weight, avoid
use of deodorants, wash affected areas with antiseptic soap, and
avoid irritating the lesion with tight-fitting clothing. Hurley stage
II disease is commonly managed with systemic antibiotics, such
as tetracyclines, macrolides, and cephalosporins, which are often
switched as resistance develops. Systemic hormones with
antiandrogen activity have also been used to treat Hurley stage
II disease. Incision and drainage has been used for symptomatic
relief of painful, fluctuant nodules in mild HS.3 Advanced Hurley
stage III HS is typically managed with surgical excision, especially
if scarring is evident, but in recent years, the tumor necrosis factor
α inhibitor infliximab has shown efficacy in advanced HS.4
A uniform treatment approach to patients with HS is complicated
by the rarity of HS, the various anecdotal treatments, and the
paucity of evidence-based data management. Past studies have
focused on the effectiveness of 1 or 2 particular treatments (Table
1), but an evaluation of the performance of all treatments used in
a particular HS patient population would provide a valuable tool
for selecting evidenced-based treatments. The aim of this study
was to analyze the experience of HS management from 1968 to
2008 in Olmsted County patients treated at Mayo Clinic.
METHODS
Study Criteria
This project was built on a population-based study of HS in
Olmsted County, Minnesota, using the Rochester Epidemiology
Project.1 The original project identified 268 patients who
received a new diagnosis of HS between 1968 and 2008. For
the present study, patients were included if follow-up data were
available after a treatment plan was initiated.
