Evaluating the Use of Hematological Parameters in Staging Hidradenitis Suppurativa

Recently, it has been shown that hematological parameters may be used as markers of inflammatory response. In this study, the authors aimed to identify the potential roles of the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and other hematological markers in the evaluation of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), a chronic, recurrent inflammatory disease.

A total of 35 patients, diagnosed with HS between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2014, were categorized into 3 groups according to the Hurley staging system. The basic patient demographics, the anatomic regions involved, and the hematological parameters including NLRs were evaluated in the present retrospective chart review.

Hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin levels were greater in stage I than stage III, while hematocrit, red cell distribution width (RDW), mean platelet volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration levels, and platelet counts did not differ between the stages. White blood cell and neu- trophil counts were higher in stage III than stage II, while lympho- cyte counts were lower in stage III than stage II. The NLR of stage I was detected as being significantly higher than stage II and lower than stage III.

The present study shows hematological markers, and NLR in particular may be related to the severity of HS. Further studies are required to demonstrate the significance of NLR in the evaluation of HS.