What should a surgeon know about hidradenitis suppurativa?

Otherwise known as Verneuil's disease, hidradenitis suppurative (HS) is a severe dermatosis of heterogeneous appearance affecting 1% of the population. Its pathophysiology is multifactorial, involving genetic predisposition, inflammatory disorder and environmental elements. Its diagnosis is based on the association of three clinical characteristics: characteristic lesions, typical localizations, and the chronic and recurrent nature of the lesions. Given its diversified aspects, diagnosis can be difficult to achieve. As its manifestations often include abscesses, it is important for the surgeon to know how to detect this pathology. The development of biologics has improved treatment of this disease, treatment that necessitates a multidisciplinary medical and surgical approach involving dermatologists and proctologists as well as surgeons. The objective of this report is to synthesize what a surgeon will need to know so as effectively treat HS patients.