Typical course: skin lesions recurring or non-resolving at the same sites, despite standard short antibiotic courses. Typical sites: groin and axillae are commonest, but breast, neck, lower abdomen, and perineum are also recognised sites. Typical lesions: inflamed nodules, discharging abscesses, chronic sinus tracts, rope-like scars, and comedones.

This study aimed to understand current practice in treating HS in primary care.īox 1 Diagnostic features of hidradenitis suppurativa 8

6 Despite this potentially important role, there has been little research into the area of primary care practitioners’ management of HS in the UK. They also have the skills to assess patients for the excess cardiovascular risk associated with HS, 7 and to support patients in making lifestyle changes and coping with the psychosocial effects of the disease. Primary care practitioners are ideally placed to diagnose and treat HS in its early stages. 1, 9 However, most patients present with characteristic features, and a firm diagnosis can usually be made in the presence of a typical history and clinical findings ( Box 1). 8 HS has historically been poorly recognised and under-researched, and delayed diagnosis and suboptimal treatment have been noted in many studies worldwide.

3, 6, 7 People living with HS are typically young to middle-aged adults, and the condition can have profound and long-lasting effects on their employment prospects and quality of life. 5 Many of those affected by HS have adverse lifestyle factors, particularly smoking and obesity, and it is often associated with multiple comorbidities including depression, CVD, and type two diabetes. 3, 4 It often presents as recurring ‘boils’ in groins, breasts, and axillae, which fail to heal with short courses of antibiotics, but persist as painful scarring nodules and chronically discharging skin tunnels (sinuses). HS is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, with a prevalence of around 1% in Western populations.

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