Somatic and psychiatric comorbidities of hidradenitis suppurativa in children and adolescents.

BACKGROUND

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is associated with various somatic and psychiatric comorbidities. Data regarding comorbidities in young patients with HS are sparse.

OBJECTIVE

We analyzed both somatic and psychiatric comorbidities in young patients in a nationwide HS cohort.

METHODS

In this retrospective case-control study, data from cases of HS in young (age 5 to <18 years) patients and age-matched controls with benign melanocytic nevi were collected from the Finnish Care Register for Health Care. The prevalence of preselected comorbidities was compared between the HS and control groups.

RESULTS

A total of 153 HS cases were found in the specified age group. Of these, 34.0% had at least 1 somatic comorbidity compared with 4.9% of the controls. At least 1 of the preselected psychiatric diagnoses was present before the age of 18 years in 15.7% of case patients with HS compared with in 5.6% of the controls. By the age of 23 years, 23.5% of the patients with HS and 8.7% of the controls had at least 1 identified psychiatric comorbidity.

LIMITATIONS: Despite this being one of the largest HS cohorts ever studied, the number of young patients with HS was relatively low. Because this was a registry-based study, it was not possible to verify the accuracy of the International Classification of Diseases codes.

CONCLUSION

Physicians should monitor young patients with HS for both somatic and psychiatric comorbidities.