Severe hidradenitis suppurativa

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic, recurrent inflammatory disease causing significant changes and damage to skin. Predilection sites are the axilla and the anogenital region. Chronic and severe forms of the diseases may cause both physical and psychological injury to the patient. PATIENTS: We present the cases of two female patients with severe hidradenitis suppurativa in the axillae and in the anogenital region. The patients had been unsuccessfully treated for eight and four years respectively with antibiotics and by limited surgery. Different methods of closing the defects following radical surgical excision (local flap reconstruction, healing by granulation) had to be used with respect to the extent of the disease and the site of involved skin. CONCLUSION: Radical wide excision of the skin area involved is the only appropriate surgical procedure which prevents recurrence of the disease. Selection of the therapeutic method must be done very carefully with respect to the individual characteristics of the disease and the patients attitude to therapy.