User:Mr. Ibrahem/Hidradenitis suppurativa

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), also known as acne inversa, is a long-term skin disease characterized by the occurrence of recurrent inflamed and swollen bumps. These are typically painful and break open, releasing fluid or pus. The areas most commonly affected are the underarms, under the breasts, and the groin. Scar tissue remains after healing. Self-consciousness or depression may result.

The exact cause is usually unclear but believed to involve a combination of genetic and environmental factors. About a third of people with the disease have an affected family member. Other risk factors include obesity and smoking. The condition is not infectious, related to hygiene, or the use of deodorant. The underlying mechanism is believed to involve either a dysfunction of apocrine sweat glands or hair follicles. Diagnosis is based on the symptoms.

There is no known cure. Warm baths may be tried in those with mild disease. Cutting open the lesions to allow them to drain does not result in significant benefit. While antibiotics are commonly used, evidence for their use is poor. Immunosuppressive medication may also be tried. In those with more severe disease, laser therapy or surgery to remove the affected skin may be carried out. Rarely, a skin lesion may develop into skin cancer.

Hidradenitis suppurativa is estimated to affect between 1% and 4% of people. Women are three times more likely to be diagnosed than men. Onset is typically in young adulthood and may become less common after fifty years old. It was first described some time between 1833 and 1839 by French anatomist Alfred Velpeau.