Challenges in the Management of Perianal Hidradenitis Suppurativa in an African American Male: A Case Report

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), more commonly known as acne inversa, occurs due to chronic inflammation of the body’s apocrine glands, most commonly affecting areas of the body where there is prolonged skin-on-skin friction. HS affects approximately 4% of the United States population, most commonly w...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) CA), 2023-09, Vol.15 (9)
Main Authors: Russell, Natalie, Kpughur-Tule, Ngumimi, Ravichandar, Emmanuel, Dorta Torres, Gerard, Tiesenga, Frederick
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abdomen
Abscesses
African Americans
Antibiotics
Case reports
Debridement
Dermatology
Emergency medical care
Hospitals
Infections
Infectious diseases
Males
Monoclonal antibodies
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
Pain
Patients
Psychiatry
Socioeconomic factors
Therapeutics
Tumor necrosis factor-TNF
Wound healing
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), more commonly known as acne inversa, occurs due to chronic inflammation of the body’s apocrine glands, most commonly affecting areas of the body where there is prolonged skin-on-skin friction. HS affects approximately 4% of the United States population, most commonly women in their second or third decade of life, especially those of African American ethnicity. HS presents as tender subcutaneous nodules which often rupture, leading to the formation of painful dermal abscesses which undergo fibrosis and lead to the formation of extensive sinus tracts, a phenomenon known as “tunneling”. HS is staged clinically using the Hurley staging system, where the stage determines what treatment modalities are used. These modalities can include medical management such as antibiotics, or biologics such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha inhibitors like adalimumab, as well as surgical options including incision with or without drainage. Due to the similar presentation of HS with other conditions, this disease is commonly misdiagnosed, often leading to delayed treatment initiation and worse outcomes for patients. Presented is a case report of a 30-year-old African American male with perianal HS and the potential long-term complications and challenges of management of this disease.
ISSN:2168-8184
2168-8184
DOI:10.7759/cureus.45788