Comorbidities of hidradenitis suppurativa: A review of the literature

BACKGROUND: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that affects the follicular portion of folliculopilosebaceous units. It causes painful nodules, abscesses, and draining sinus tracts throughout multiple regions of the body. HS primarily affects women; the overall HS prevalence in women is three times that in men. Although cutaneous disease itself causes substantial morbidity, recent evidence has shown that HS is a systemic inflammatory disease with multiple associated comorbidities. OBJECTIVE: A review of the literature was conducted to elucidate existing information on this topic to assist in clinical decision-making for dermatologists. METHODS: A review of the literature using the PubMed database was conducted with the search term “hidradenitis suppurativa comorbidities”. The search was conducted from March 3, 2019 to March 20, 2019, and yielded 55 articles, case reports, and reviews. RESULTS: Metabolic and cardiovascular comorbidities were the most commonly associated with HS. HS has a significant comorbidity burden beyond the skin, including metabolic, cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, rheumatologic, and psychiatric disorders, which collectively decrease the quality of life of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Dermatologists should be aware of these associations to encourage appropriate screening and referral for management of these disorders.