Hidradenitis Suppurativa: An Asian Perspective from a Singaporean Institute

Demographic studies of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) in Western countries have found an association with the female gender and with co-morbidities, such as the metabolic syndrome. There are few studies in an Asian context.

This study examines the characteristics of HS at a Singaporean institute and compares them to those of existing studies in the West.

We report a series of 58 patients with HS seen at the University Dermatological Clinic, National University Hospital, Singapore, over a 13-year period between January 2004 and December 2016.

Of 58 patients, 34 were male (58.6%). The axilla was the most common site affected, followed by the groin and buttocks. We did not find significant differences in disease characteristics between males and females, such as disease severity or location of disease. Metabolic co-morbidities were common, although paediatric-onset HS patients were less likely to be overweight, obese or smokers.

The higher proportion of male HS patients in our cohort compared to the West may reflect differences in the prevalence of obesity and smoking in the 2 populations. Metabolic co-morbidities were similarly prevalent in both adult and paediatric HS patients. These findings offer insight into the factors influencing the development of HS.