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Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with increasing incidence. Severe disease stages are seen as a therapeutic challenge and pose the threat of significant restrictions on patients' life quality., Objectives: We evaluated postoperative outcome after wide local excision for HS as well as postoperative course, cosmetic results, disease recurrence and quality of life., Methods: All patients receiving radical surgical treatment for HS (Hurley III) between 2006 and 2015 were identified and received a letter-based survey. They were asked about postoperative course, cosmetic results, recurrence and life quality., Results: Two hundred and fifty-five patients (103 men, 152 women) answered the questionnaire. Ninety-five percentage of patients reported disease-specific restrictions on everyday life. Seventy-five percentage of patients did not experience any postoperative adverse events; however, postoperative pain with need for analgesics was reported in 38%. The majority of patients (80%) were very satisfied or satisfied after surgery, and 85% of patients would recommend surgery to other affected persons., Limitations: The retrospective design of the study was a limitation., Conclusions: The well-known negative psychological and social effects are a relevant part of HS and emphasize the importance of immediate therapy. As long-lasting local disease-control can be achieved, surgery should be considered as first-line therapy., (© 2018 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.)

We conducted a longitudinal cohort study on the quality of life of infertile male patients measured at baseline and after 5 years with a specific quality of life instrument for male patients who are involuntarily childless. It was distributed to patients who were seen at the andrology and gynaecology clinics for infertility diagnoses and treatment. At baseline (T1), 275 patients took part in the study. A subset of these patients (N = 133) had released two semen samples, and the results of the semen analysis had been communicated to them before they received the questionnaire. Semen quality of this subset was assessed according to WHO recommendations. After 5 years (T2), the questionnaires were mailed again and were sent back by N = 101 patients. No significant quality of life difference was found between the semen quality groups. After 5 years, an improvement was found for the dimensions 'desire for a child' [mean score 1.92 (T1) versus 1.72 (T2)] and 'gender identity' [mean score 1.56 (T1) versus 1.42 (T2)] while no change was found for 'partnership' and 'psychological well-being'. We did not find significant differences between patients who had fathered a child in the meantime and patients who did not become fathers., (© 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.)