2.
Elsevier ClinicalKey Derived Clinical Overview
• Adjuvant therapy, which includes pain management, treatment of established superinfections, weight loss, and tobacco cessation. Treatment of superinfections is directed by bacterial culture sensitivities. Appropriate bandaging of suppurating lesions and patient support groups are helpful.
• Medical therapy, which may be topical in mild cases. Topical clindamycin has been shown to have an effect on early lesions. Resorcinol 15% BD can also be used as first-line treatment. Systemic tetracycline (500 mg BD) or doxycycline (100 mg BD) may be used as an alternative for severe/refractory disease. Cohort studies support coadministering oral clindamycin 300 mg BD and rifampicin 300 mg BD for limited HS. Smaller studies indicate that long-term intensive antibiotic treatment, e.g., the oral combination of rifampin (10 mg/kg once daily), moxifloxacin (400 mg once daily), and metronidazole (250–500 mg TD) (RMoM) for 6 wk, followed by 4 wk of RMo alone; cotrimoxazole after remission may provide long-term disease control in mild cases. Antibiotic resistance is frequent in the microbiota of HS patients and calls for more stringent antibiotic stewardship. For localized flares, intralesional corticosteroids (3–5 mg single dose) may provide significant pain relief within 24 hr.
Adalimumab has been shown to be effective in moderate-to-severe HS when administered weekly (week 0: 160 mg; week 2: 80 mg; and from week 4: 40 mg weekly). Onset of effect has been shown to be at week 2 of treatment. A post hoc analysis of a smaller trial indicated that infliximab 5 mg/kg may also be effective. Anakinra (100 mg daily) and apremilast (30 mg BD) may also be effective. An open-label study of ustekinumab (45 mg or 90 mg based on patient weight) also indicated utility.
An open-label study of ustekinumab (45 mg or 90 mg based on patient weight) also indicated utility.
• Surgery, from local to extensive, can be helpful. Milder cases can benefit from localized excisions or deroofing (exteriorization) of single tunnels. Only fluctuant soft abscesses should undergo lancing. Lancing of inflamed nodules is painful to the patient, is ineffective, and causes additional scarring. Nonfluctuant symptomatic lesions are better treated using intralesional corticosteroids. A CO2laser can be used to evaporate lesions. More advanced cases require major surgery, which should involve excision of the affected tissue or careful deroofing of all tunnels. The recurrence rate is inversely proportional to the extent of surgery, and wide excisions generally offer a better chance of remission. Similarly, it is suggested that secondary intention healing is superior to primary closure of postexcisional wounds. Secondary healing requires longer periods of wound management but generally does not preclude resumption of work 3 to 4 wk after treatment.