Decades Delayed in Diagnosis: Hidradenitis Suppurativa and a Review of Barriers to Care.

We present a case of a 40-year-old female seen on the inpatient general surgery service in consultation for a suspected abdominal wall abscess or seroma. The history and examination were consistent with a diagnosis of hidradenitis suppurativa. The patient had a 25-year history of similar lesions present since her teenage years, not properly investigated and diagnosed, despite presenting with symptoms in multiple clinic and hospital settings since disease onset. As an accurate diagnosis of HS is often missed or delayed for years, it is important to increase awareness and clinical recognition of this condition among providers to improve outcomes for patients with the potentially debilitating disease of HS.