ZEYNEP ALTAN FERHATOĞLU, ÖZKAN SEVER, BİLUN REŞİT, BURHAN ENGİN
Journal of the Turkish Academy of Dermatology - 2023;17(2):50-53
Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with a prevalence ranging from less than 1% to 4% in the population. The disease affects the apocrine glands and is poorly understood. HS lesions are typically found in intertriginous areas. Genetic and environmental factors, such as high body mass index (BMI) and smoking, are believed to contribute to lesion development. The lesions are classified into three Hurley stages, and treatment varies according to the stage of the disease. Materials and Methods: This study aimed to evaluate the factors that contribute to the development of HS and the treatments administered based on the Hurley stages. The purpose was to assess the factors associated with an increased risk of HS and examine the treatment approaches specific to each Hurley stage. Between the years 2018 and 2022, a retrospective evaluation was conducted on a total of 31 patients who were followed in our HS outpatient clinic at the Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine. The evaluation focused on gender distribution, smoking rates, BMI, and the treatments received, categorized according to the Hurley stages. Results: When we retrospectively examined the data of 31 patients, 21 were male, and 10 were female. The mean age of male patients was 36, while the mean age of female patients was 30.9. Among the patients, 19% were classified as Hurley stage 1, 29% as Hurley stage 2, and 51% as Hurley stage 3. The smoking rates were 50% in Hurley stage 1, 55% in Hurley stage 2, and 62% in Hurley stage 3. When comparing BMI, the mean BMI was 26.16 kg/m2 in Hurley stage 1, 27.66 kg/m2 in Hurley stage 2, and 31.25 kg/m2 in Hurley stage 3. In terms of treatment, 66% of Hurley stage 1 patients received systemic antibiotic treatment, while all patients in Hurley stage 2 and 3 received systemic antibiotic therapy. None of the Hurley stage 1 patients used adalimumab, while the rate of adalimumab use was 33% in Hurley stage 2 and 42% in Hurley stage 3. Conclusion: When examining the patients who presented to our clinic, it was observed that HS disease is more prevalent among men, smokers, and individuals with a higher BMI. However, further studies with larger patient cohorts are still necessary to validate these findings.
