Skip to main content
Journal of the National Medical Association logoLink to Journal of the National Medical Association
letter
. 1980 Mar;72(3):237–243.

Hidradenitis Suppurativa: Review of the Literature and Management of the Axillary Lesion

Eid B Mustafa, Subhi D Ali, Lewis H Kurtz
PMCID: PMC2552558  PMID: 6993691

Abstract

Hidradenitis suppurativa is a suppurative inflammatory disease of the apocrine sweat glands. It affects the apocrine gland bearing regions, the axillae being the most common site. It causes considerable morbidity and has several complications. The etiology is unknown and there is no standard method of treatment. A comprehensive review of the literature is presented demonstrating a paucity of information about this disease. The authors' experience and the management of the axillary lesion is outlined. Radical excision of the apocrine gland bearing area with split thickness skin graft (STSG) after one week is the method of choice. A reinforced sling is used for arm immobilization after grafting. The predictability of this technique makes it the preferred method of treatment. Also, more effort is urged towards better understanding of this neglected but serious health problem.

Full text

PDF
237

Images in this article

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. ARMSTRONG D. P., PICKRELL K. L., GIBLIN T. R., MILLER F. AXILLARY HIDRADENITIS SUPPURATIVA. Plast Reconstr Surg. 1965 Aug;36:200–206. doi: 10.1097/00006534-196508000-00007. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Anderson D. K., Perry A. W. Axillary hidradenitis. Arch Surg. 1975 Jan;110(1):69–72. doi: 10.1001/archsurg.1975.01360070069012. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. BRUNSTING H. A. Hidradenitis and other variants of acne. AMA Arch Derm Syphilol. 1952 Mar;65(3):303–315. doi: 10.1001/archderm.1952.01530220044004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bergeron J. R., Stone O. J. Interstitial keratitis associated with hidradenitis suppurativa. Arch Dermatol. 1967 May;95(5):473–475. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. CONWAY H., STARK R. B., CLIMO S., WEETER J. C., GARCIA F. A. The surgical treatment of chronic hidradenitis suppurativa. Surg Gynecol Obstet. 1952 Oct;95(4):455–464. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. CORNBLEET T. Pregnancy and apocrine gland diseases: hidradenitis, Fox-Fordyce disease. AMA Arch Derm Syphilol. 1952 Jan;65(1):12–19. doi: 10.1001/archderm.1952.01530200016002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Ching C. C., Stahlgren L. H. Clinical review of hidradenitis suppurativa: management of cases with severe perianal involvement. Dis Colon Rectum. 1965 Sep-Oct;8(5):349–352. doi: 10.1007/BF02627258. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Cocke W. M., Jr Surgery of hidradenitis suppurativa of the perineum. Plast Reconstr Surg. 1967 Feb;39(2):178–181. doi: 10.1097/00006534-196702000-00009. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Curtin J. W., Greeley P. W. Radical surgical approach to chronic suppurative hidradenitis of the axillary, inguinal, perianal and genital areas. Bull Soc Int Chir. 1969 Jan-Feb;28(1):58–64. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. DANTO J. L. Preliminary studies of the effect of hydrocortisone on hidradenitis suppurativa. J Invest Dermatol. 1958 Dec;31(6):299–300. doi: 10.1038/jid.1958.124. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Duncan W. C. Surgical treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa. J Dermatol Surg. 1976 May;2(2):153–157. doi: 10.1111/j.1524-4725.1976.tb00171.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Dvorak V. C., Root R. K., MacGregor R. R. Host-defense mechanisms in hidradenitis suppurativa. Arch Dermatol. 1977 Apr;113(4):450–453. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. GREELEY P. W. Surgical treatment of chronic suppurative hidradenitis. Arch Surg. 1950 Aug;61(2):193–198. doi: 10.1001/archsurg.1950.01250020197001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Greer K. E. Letter: Facial involvement with hidradenitis suppurativa. Arch Dermatol. 1974 Mar;109(3):408–408. doi: 10.1001/archderm.1974.01630030062019. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. HARRISON S. H. AXILLARY HIDRADENITIS. Br J Plast Surg. 1964 Jan;17:95–98. doi: 10.1016/s0007-1226(64)80016-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Humphrey L. J., Playforth H., Leavell U. W., Jr Squamous cell carcinoma arising in hidradenitis suppurativum. Arch Dermatol. 1969 Jul;100(1):59–62. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Lipshutz H. Closure of axillary hidradenitis defects with local triangular flaps. Plast Reconstr Surg. 1974 Jun;53(6):677–679. doi: 10.1097/00006534-197406000-00018. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Masson J. K. Surgical treatment for hidradenitis suppurativa. Surg Clin North Am. 1969 Oct;49(5):1043–1052. doi: 10.1016/s0039-6109(16)38938-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. O'Brien J., Wysocki J., Anastasi G. Limberg flap coverage for axillary defects resulting from excision of hidradenitis suppurativa. Plast Reconstr Surg. 1976 Sep;58(3):354–358. doi: 10.1097/00006534-197609000-00017. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. PALETTA F. X. Hidradenitis suppurativa: pathologic study and use of skin flaps. Plast Reconstr Surg. 1963 Apr;31:307–315. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Pollock W. J., Virnelli F. R., Ryan R. F. Axillary hidradenitis suppurativa. A simple and effective surgical technique. Plast Reconstr Surg. 1972 Jan;49(1):22–27. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. SNYDER C. C., FARRELL J. J. Hydradenitis suppurativa. Plast Reconstr Surg (1946) 1957 Jun;19(6):502–508. doi: 10.1097/00006534-195706000-00006. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. STEINER K., GRAYSON L. D. Hidradenitis suppurativa of the adult and its management. AMA Arch Derm. 1955 Feb;71(2):205–211. doi: 10.1001/archderm.1955.01540260063013. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Sachs D. D., Gordon A. T. Hidradenitis suppurativa of glands of Moll. Arch Ophthalmol. 1967 May;77(5):635–636. doi: 10.1001/archopht.1967.00980020637012. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Schaumburg-Lever G., Lever W. F. Secretion from human apocrine glands: an electron microscopic study. J Invest Dermatol. 1975 Jan;64(1):38–41. doi: 10.1111/1523-1747.ep12540893. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Shaughnessy D. M., Greminger R. R., Margolis I. B., Davis W. C. Hidradenitis suppurativa. A plea for early operative treatment. JAMA. 1972 Oct 16;222(3):320–321. doi: 10.1001/jama.222.3.320. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Tennant F., Jr, Bergeron J. R., Stone O. J., Mullins J. F. Anemia associated with hidradenitis suppurativa. Arch Dermatol. 1968 Aug;98(2):138–140. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Zeligman I. Temporary x-ray epilation therapy of chronic axillary hidradenitis suppurativa. Arch Dermatol. 1965 Dec;92(6):690–694. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of the National Medical Association are provided here courtesy of National Medical Association

RESOURCES