Hidradenitis suppurativa: current views on epidemiology, pathogenesis, and pathophysiology.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a disease characterized by chronic follicular occlusion and secondary inflammation of the apocrine glands. The disease is uncommon but not rare. Further epidemiologic study is required to better determine HS prevalence in various populations. Women are affected three times more often than men, although HS tends to be more severe in men. The typical age of onset is in the second and third decades; HS is rare prior to puberty, and the prevalence is lower in older adults. A number of factors (particularly cigarette smoking) and comorbid conditions (especially obesity) are associated with HS, but causative relationships have not been established.