Hidradenitis Suppurativa in the Military

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease affecting the apocrine glands that is painful and often debilitating. Clinical manifestations include painful subcutaneous nodules that may lead to purulent secretions, abscesses, and fistula formation. The disease can be disfiguring and can worsen with friction and smoking. Treatment of HS in military servicemembers (SMs) often requires physical duty restrictions, which can result in removal from active service. We report the case of an active-duty marine with a flare of groin HS.