Polish guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa

Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic, recurrent, inflammatory skin disease that affects hair follicles, typically developing after puberty. It is characterized by painful, deep-seated inflammatory lesions that appear in anatomical regions where apocrine glands are located, mainly in the axillar, inguinal, and anogenital areas. The pathogenesis of hidradenitis suppurativa is multifactorial, with follicular occlusion representing the initial stage of the disease and subsequently leading to the formation of neutrophilic abscesses and infiltration by various inflammatory cells. The treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa requires a multidisciplinary approach, involving dermatologists and dermatologic surgeons, as well as physicians of other medical specialties. The primary pharmacological treatments for hidradenitis suppurativa involve antibiotics and biologic disease-modifying drugs, which can be used either in monotherapy or in combination with surgical interventions. The following guidelines provide up-to-date information on the management of patients with hidradenitis suppurativa.