Prevalence and comorbidities associated with hidradenitis suppurativa in Korea: a nationwide population-based study.

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) in Asia is unknown. The associations between HS and other autoimmune disorders have rarely been reported.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to determine the prevalence of and diseases associated with HS using the National Health Insurance (NHI) database.

METHODS

We examined Korean NHI claim database data from 2007 to 2016. We enrolled all patients with HS and age- and sex-matched control subjects without HS. We estimated the period prevalence of HS and associated comorbidities in Korea.

RESULTS

We identified 28 516 patients with HS (61.3% males and 38.7% females). The period prevalence rate was 0.06%, 55.8 patients (95% confidence interval 55.1-56.4) per 100 000 persons, and the female-to-male ratio was 1 : 1.6. HS patients were at significantly increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, type 1 diabetes, ulcerative colitis, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, acne conglobata, pilonidal cysts, psoriasis, pyoderma gangrenosum, alopecia areata and vitiligo.

CONCLUSION

The overall prevalence of HS in Korea was lower than that in Western populations, and male patients predominated.