Surgical Management of Pediatric Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A Case Series and Review of the Literature.

BACKGROUND

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic and physically debilitating condition. Achieving long-term remission is difficult and sometimes remains elusive despite use of multiple pharmacological agents. However, surgery remains underused in the pediatric population.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective review for a 10-year period of all patients younger than 18 years who had undergone surgery for HS at a tertiary university hospital. In addition, we performed a literature review for English language articles related to the surgical management of pediatric HS patients.

RESULTS

Eleven patients with a total of 23 operative sites were included in the study. The cohort was predominantly female (10:1) with an average age of 15.4 years and mean body mass index 31.9 kg/m. Lesion size ranged from 12.6 to 400 cm. Overall complication rate was 87% with a 7% reoperation rate to manage complications. Remission was achieved after a single procedure in 57% of sites. Three articles met our inclusion criteria for the literature review.

CONCLUSIONS

Our article adds to the sparse literature and represents the largest study on surgical management of pediatric HS patients. Although surgery is not without its challenges, it presents a safe option and for pediatric HS patients with extensive scar or sinus tract formation.