Evidence-Based Recommendations for Comorbidity Screening in Hidradenitis Suppurativa

According to a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, screening efforts on comorbidities in hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) should be encouraged and play a part in comprehensive care.

Researchers aimed to present screening recommendations for comorbidities linked to HS by performing systematic reviews to summarize the evidence related to the prevalence and incidence of 30 comorbidities in patients with HS. Screening recommendations are based on the consistency and quality of existing studies, disease prevalence, and magnitude of association in addition to the benefits, harms, and feasibility of screenings. Additionally, they utilized the Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy criteria to grade the level of evidence and strength of corresponding screening recommendation.

Results showed that the following comorbidities should undergo screening: acne, dissecting cellulitis of the scalp, pilonidal disease, pyoderma gangrenosum, depression, generalized anxiety disorder, suicidality, smoking, substance use disorder, polycystic ovary syndrome, obesity, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, inflammatory bowel disease, spondyloarthritis, and sexual dysfunction. Also, patients with Down syndrome should undergo screening for HS. However, screening for specific comorbidities varies depending on patient risk factors.

“Dermatologists should support screening efforts to identify comorbid conditions in HS,” the authors concluded.

Reference
Garg A, Malviya N, Strunk A, et al. Comorbidity screening in hidradenitis suppurativa: evidence-based recommendations from the US and Canadian hidradenitis suppurativa foundations. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2022;86(5):1092-1101. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2021.01.059