Hidradenitis suppurativa

Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic inflammatory skin disease marked by recurrent painful nodules, abscesses, and tunnels, usually in skin folds. It is not caused by poor hygiene or ordinary infection.

Hair follicle: A skin structure that produces a hair and connects to an oil-producing sebaceous gland. Lesions are thought to begin with blockage and rupture of hair follicles.
Hurley staging system: A clinical classification that grades hidradenitis suppurativa by the extent of scarring and sinus tracts. It summarizes structural disease severity and helps guide treatment choices.
Acne vulgaris: A common inflammatory disorder of hair follicles and sebaceous glands, usually affecting the face, chest, and back. Both involve follicular inflammation, but hidradenitis suppurativa typically forms deep lesions in skin folds.
Chronic pain: Pain that persists or recurs over an extended period, often beyond normal tissue healing. Repeated inflammation and scarring can make pain a lasting feature of hidradenitis suppurativa.
Follicular occlusion: Blockage of a hair follicle by accumulated keratin and cellular debris. This early process is strongly implicated in hidradenitis suppurativa lesion formation.
Sartorius score: A scoring system that measures hidradenitis suppurativa extent using lesion counts, regions, and distances. It offers a more detailed way to track disease burden than Hurley stages.
Furuncle: A painful infection of a hair follicle that forms a localized collection of pus. A single boil can resemble a lesion, but recurrent tunnels and scarring point toward hidradenitis suppurativa.
Depression: A mood disorder characterized by persistent low mood or loss of interest that impairs daily life. Depression is more common in people with hidradenitis suppurativa and can compound its burden.
Interleukin 17: A signaling protein that promotes inflammatory responses, especially those involving neutrophils. Elevated interleukin 17 activity contributes to inflammation in affected skin.
Adalimumab: A monoclonal antibody that blocks tumor necrosis factor alpha and is used to treat inflammatory diseases. It is an established biologic option for moderate to severe hidradenitis suppurativa.

Linked from 4 pages