Risk of Ophthalmologic Comorbidities in Hidradenitis Suppurativa Patients.

PURPOSE: To assess associations between hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) and inflammatory and infectious eye diseases.

METHODS

We created a matched cohort of adults with and without a diagnosis of HS and calculated relative risk (RR) ratios for inflammatory and infectious eye diseases using the Global TriNetX Database. We also calculated RR ratios for infectious and inflammatory eye diseases in HS patients based on the use of biologic medications.

RESULTS

Based on our cohort of 57,749 adults with HS, we found an increased risk for corneal ulcers (RR: 1.66, p = 0.001), marginal corneal ulcers (RR: 2.82, p = 0.002), and scleritis (RR: 1.89, p = 0.009) and a decreased risk for conjunctivitis (RR: 0.75, p < 0.001), acute atopic conjunctivitis (RR: 0.78; p < 0.001), and mucopurulent conjunctivitis (RR: 0.71, p < 0.001) in HS patients compared to healthy controls. Subgroup analysis showed a decreased risk for conjunctivitis (RR: 0.62, p < 0.001) in adults with HS treated with adalimumab or secukinumab compared to adults with HS not treated with biologics.

CONCLUSION

This study found an increased risk for corneal ulcers, marginal corneal ulcers, and scleritis in adults with HS. Use of biologics was associated with a reduced risk of conjunctivitis in patients with HS compared to patients who did not have biologic exposure.