Hidradenitis suppurativa (also known as acne inversa) can be difficult to diagnose, but our extremely experienced team of dermatologists work with many cases of skin disease every day. We attend and lecture at events for improving education and treatment of this extremely painful and difficult disease.
Hidradenitis suppurativa causes painful lumps that become inflamed, often near sweat glands and the roots of your hairs. Typically this occurs in areas where skin rubs together, including:
This can be a very difficult condition to live with. It is often constantly uncomfortable and flare-ups can result in days long pain and inability to live your life.
In some cases the lesions (or lumps) can restrict mobility and make it hard to move. Hidradenitis suppurativa can also cause tracts to form under the skin and may cause scarring.
Symptoms can include:
Abcesses can rupture leaking pus. In severe cases tracts may reach the skins surface leaking blood, pus, and other foul smelling fluids. The constant inflammation and healing can cause internal or external scars.
It is essential that our patients feel comfortable, and our dermatologist will take the time to develop an approach specifically tailored to you. We will look for signs and symptoms and base our diagnosis on your skin’s appearance and medical history. We will discuss medical treatment options with you and answer any questions you may have about hidradenitis suppurativa.
Antibiotics may be prescribed, and a doctor may also recommend steroid injections, hormonal therapy, retinoids, or biologics, depending on your situation. In some cases, a combination of these medications may be prescribed. This will all depend on your condition and its severity.
Referral for surgery is another option that may be considered. Punch debridement, incision and drainage, and surgical removal are all options we will consider. Punch debridement is a procedure in which a single inflamed bump will be removed.
Patients with persistent or severe symptoms may require surgical removal, during which all the affected skin will be removed. We may even recommend combined medical and surgical methods for hidradenitis suppurativa.
Our clinical trial department is very interested in running trials to test novel treatments for hidradenitis suppurativa (H.S.). A clinical trial is an experiment to determine the safety and effectiveness of an investigational treatment. There are two primary reasons to consider participating in a clinical trial.
If your H.S. has resisted standard treatment options, you might be interested in trying something that is currently in development. This is the best way for people to get access to the newest treatment options at no cost.
Also, participating in a clinical trial helps advance scientific knowledge on treatment options, which can help others who suffer from the same condition by moving along development on new treatments.
If you would like to participate in a clinical trial for hidradenitis suppurativa, please click here to see our current listings, or call us at # 647-202-6393
