Hidradenitis suppurativa: the hidden skin disease

Dr Anne-Marie Tobin writes on hidradenitis suppurativa — a chronic debilitating skin condition that requires a multidisciplinary approach Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, recurrent and debilitating skin condition characterised by deep-seated inflamed nodules, abscesses, sinus tract formation and scarring. Women are more commonly affected, and it mainly occurs in apocrine sweat gland-bearing areas of the skin such as the groin, axillae and the inframammary regions. It often produces a malodorous and recurrent discharge and can cause significant pain and distress, particularly during a ‘flare up’. In a recent epidemiological study in Ireland a prevalence of 1.4 per cent for…