Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin condition characterized by recurrent boils, abscesses, and nodules that can progress to narrow channels that form under the skin. An estimated 1%-4% of the US population has the condition, and women are affected more commonly than men.
Treatment of HS is challenging and the pathogenesis is still under investigation. Many believe that the disease involves follicular occlusion that leads to perifollicular cyst development followed by ruptures of the cyst contents. Many drug classes, including antibiotics and topical therapies, as well as lifestyle modifications, have been used to successfully treat mild to moderate HS. Management of moderate to severe HS has been less successful, however.
Dr Jennifer Hsiao, from the University of Southern California, highlights the various approaches to HS treatment, including medical, procedural, and emerging options.
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Jennifer Hsiao, MD, Associate Professor, Physician, Department of Dermatology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
Jennifer Hsiao, MD, has disclosed the following relevant financial relationships:
Serve(d) as a director, officer, partner, employee, advisor, consultant, or trustee for: AbbVie; Novartis; UCB
Serve(d) as a speaker or a member of a speakers bureau for: AbbVie