Table 1.
Patient characteristics
| Total [n = 211] | Pruritus NRS score ≥3 [n = 121] | Pruritus NRS score <3 [n = 90] | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years | 38.0 (29–49) | 38.0 (29–48) | 39.0 (29–52) | 0.39 |
| Female sex | 135 (64) | 78 (65) | 57 (63) | 0.87 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 28.5 ± 5.9 | 28.7 ± 5.8a | 28.3 ± 6.0b | 0.67 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 18 (9) | 10 (8) | 8 (9) | 0.87 |
| Smoking statusc | 0.05 | |||
| Never smoked | 37 (20) | 16 (13) | 21 (23) | |
| Present smoker | 42 (62) | 83 (70) | 48 (54) | |
| Past smoker | 131 (18) | 21 (18) | 21 (23) | |
| Pack-yearsd | 12.0 (7–23) | 12.9 (6–22) | 12.0 (7–26) | 0.65 |
| Positive family historye | 80 (38) | 49 (41) | 31 (34) | 0.37 |
| Use of systemic medication | 64 (32) | 36 (30) | 28 (31) | 0.92 |
| Skin type (Fitzpatrick)f | 0.49 | |||
| I | 18 (9) | 14 (12) | 4 (5) | |
| II | 126 (60) | 69 (57) | 57 (63) | |
| III | 17 (8) | 11 (9) | 6 (7) | |
| IV | 30 (14) | 17 (14) | 13 (14) | |
| V | 11 (5) | 5 (4) | 6 (7) | |
| VI | 9 (4) | 5 (4) | 4 (4) | |
| Duration of HS, years | 14.0 (7–25) | 15.0 (8–27) | 13.0 (5–23) | 0.22 |
| HS severityg | <0.001** | |||
| Hurley I | 32 (15) | 13 (11) | 19 (21) | |
| Hurley II | 140 (66) | 75 (62) | 65 (72) | |
| Hurley III | 39 (19) | 33 (27) | 6 (7) | |
| Currently inflamed areash | 1.5 ± 1.3 | 1.7 ± 1.4 | 0.9 ± 1.1 | <0.001** |
| Pain on NRS | 6.3 ± 3.0 | 6.9 ± 2.5 | 5.0 ± 3.5 | <0.001** |
Data are expressed as mean ± SD, median (IQR), or n (%)
BMI body mass index, HS hidradenitis suppurativa, IQR interquartile range, NRS numerical rating scale, SD standard deviation
* Indicates significant at p = 0.05, ** indicates significant at p = 0.001
aMissing n = 6
bMissing n = 9
cMissing n = 1
dPack-year = (number of cigarettes smoked per day × number of years smoked)/20
eA positive family history for HS symptoms in first- and second-degree relatives
fFisher’s exact test
gChi-square test
hInflamed area = three or more papules/pustules, one or more inflammatory nodules, one or more draining sinuses, or one or more abscesses