Proposed Definitions of Typical Lesions in Hidradenitis Suppurativa.

Background: Although not rare, hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is often under-recognized by physicians. The diagnosis of HS is clinical via the recognition of lesions typical of the disease, but universally accepted definitions of these latter are currently lacking, which means that certain severity scores employed for HS classification/management are used differently by different physicians. Our aim was to develop a set of descriptive definitions and associated images of HS lesions, in order to enable doctors to better recognize and evaluate the disease.

Pilonidal sinus disease: an intergluteal localization of hidradenitis suppurativa/acne inversa: a cross-sectional study among 2465 patients.

Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), also referred to as acne inversa, is a debilitating skin disease characterized by inflammatory nodules, chronic abscesses and tunnels (fistulae and sinuses). The association with pilonidal sinus disease (PSD) is frequently reported but not well documented.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence and characteristics of inflammatory skin lesions located in the intergluteal fold (IGF) of patients with HS.

Inter-rater agreement and reliability of outcome measurement instruments and staging systems used in hidradenitis suppurativa.

Background: Monitoring disease activity over time is a prerequisite for clinical practice and research. Valid and reliable outcome measurement instruments (OMIs) and staging systems provide researchers and clinicians with benchmark tools to assess the primary and secondary outcomes of interventional trials and to guide treatment selection properly.

Objectives: To investigate inter-rater reliability and agreement in instruments currently used in hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), with dermatologists experienced in HS as the rater population of interest.

Could isotretinoin flare hidradenitis suppurativa? A case series.

We report eight cases of patients with severe acne who were treated with isotretinoin and developed painful nodules in the axillae and groin, consistent with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). The pathogenesis of HS is still not completely understood; recent research from a study in 2011 of biopsies from HS lesions showed a reduction or absence of sebaceous glands compared with normal skin in patients with HS, with the report suggesting that this contributes to the pathogenesis of the disease. Interestingly, the main effect of isotretinoin is to decrease the size and action of sebaceous glands, so hypothetically, as isotretinoin acts by reducing the sebaceous glands further it could potentially aggravate HS.

[Acne flare on isotretinoin: A pointer to diagnosis of hidradenitis suppurativa].

Background: Isotretinoin is the most potent treatment for acne but paradoxical flares can occur. HS lesions of the face may be mistaken for acne. We report on 4 patients in whom an "acne" flare on isotretinoin led to the correct diagnosis of HS.

New Evidence Supporting Cyclosporine Efficacy in Epidermal Necrolysis.

Sixty years after its original description by Sir Alan Lyell, epidermal necrolysis (from Stevens-Johnson syndrome to toxic epidermal necrolysis) seems finally amenable to a specific treatment in addition to essential symptomatic measures in specialized settings. A recently published systematic review and an article by Gonzales-Herrada et al. strongly suggest that cyclosporine is effective in reducing the risk of death.

Disseminate recurrent folliculitis as the presenting picture of hidradenitis suppurativa.

Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) has a polymorphous clinical presentation. Herein we report two cases of HS revealed by disseminate recurrent folliculitis. PATIENTS AND METHODS CASE 1: A 31-year-old woman consulted for disseminate recurrent folliculitis on the trunk and proximal segments of the limbs that had been ongoing for several years.

Diagnosing Hidradenitis Suppurativa.

Three diagnostic criteria must be met for hidradenitis suppurativa: typical lesions, occurrence in one or more of the predilection areas, and that it is chronic and/or recurrent. Several outcome measures are used, including patient-reported pain and itch scales, Dermatology Life Quality Index, and Skindex. Hidradenitis suppurativa is associated with significant comorbidities that must be addressed in the evaluation of the patients.

[Clinical evaluation of the severity of hidradenitis suppurativa].

Treatment and long-term management of patients with chronic diseases require the use of instruments to measure severity and outcome. In the case of hidradenitis suppurativa, such instruments are currently poorly understood and utilised. Herein, we describe the main instruments, their scope of application, their qualities and their shortcomings.