[A special aspect of perianal suppuration: Verneuil's disease]

Verneuil's disease is classically described as a chronic hidradenitis suppurativa of the apocrine sweat glands of the skin. It is characterized by the formation of recurrent abscesses of the subcutaneous tissues at the level of areas containing apocrine sweat glands. Extensive chronic inflammatory lesions of skin and subcutaneous tissues can evolve in multiple fistula. Occurrence in the perianal region is rather frequent (32% according to Goligher), but the lesions are often misdiagnosed. Fistula-in-ano are rare. When such is the case, fistula-in-ano are the consequences of a long evolution of the disease, the extension of the superficial lesions in the muscles of the anal sphincters or inappropriate surgical treatment. Five cases having undergone iatrogenic lesions are reported. Diagnosis is mainly a clinical one and has to be confirmed by pathological examination. Treatment is surgical and can bring healing if wide excisions of perianal lesions are conducted in single or multiple stages.