Spondyloarthropathy associated with hidradenitis suppurative and acne conglobata

We evaluated 10 patients with hidradenitis suppurative or acne conglobata who developed arthritis. In contrast to patients with acne fulminans and arthritis, all our subjects were adults over 22 years of age; nine were black; and four were women. Nine patients had episodic inflammatory oligoarthritis affecting mainly larger joints of the upper and lower extremities. Eight patients had roentgenographic evidence of peripheral arthritis, four with erosions. Nine had clinical axial arthropathy, but roentgenograms showed abnormalities of the axial skeleton in all 10 patients. Pyoderma gangrenosum, erythema nodosum, conjunctivitis, urethritis, and oral and penile ulcers occurred in some patients. Rheumatoid factor was negative in all patients; the erythrocyte sedimentation rate was elevated in nine; five had chronic anemia; four had circulating immune complexes; and complement components were elevated in four. There was no increased incidence of HLA-B27 or other HLA-B7 cross-reacting antigens. A temporal relation of skin and joint disease activity was suggested. We report a spondyloarthropathy associated with hidradenitis suppurativa and acne conglobata. Clinical and laboratory manifestations suggest the arthropathy may be reactive to chronic cutaneous infection.