Health Search, Italian College of General Practitioners and Primary Care, 50142, Florence, Italy.
Novartis Farma S.p.A., 20154, Milan, Italy.
Fam Pract. 2024 Oct 8;41(5):711-718. doi: 10.1093/fampra/cmae037.
Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a persistent skin disorder that is characterized by painful lesions or pus-filled lumps, mostly occurring in areas where the skin flexes. It is a disfiguring condition that significantly reduces the quality of life of those affected. Developing new, effective treatments for HS is crucial, but it is important that it be recognized and diagnosed early, especially in primary care settings.
To assess the epidemiology and clinical correlates of HS in a primary care setting. The study utilized the Italian Health Search Database (HSD). A case-control design was adopted to investigate the clinical correlates of HS. Cases were classified as either "definite" or "probable" using an operational algorithm. Up to 10 controls were matched to each case based on factors such as calendar period, age, sex, and duration of follow-up.
Cumulative prevalence of HS increased from 0.06% in 2002 to 0.46% in 2021. When only "definite" cases were considered, the prevalence was almost 10 times lower (0%-0.02%). Several clinical correlates were found to be positively associated with HS, including obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, autoimmune/inflammatory diseases, and depression.
This study found that correct diagnoses of HS were made, as demonstrated by the expected relationship with clinical correlates. These associations were consistent when probable cases were included in the analysis. This evidence could serve as a foundation for proposing a decision support system for general practitioners to help identify HS in individuals with certain coexisting conditions.
化脓性汗腺炎（HS）是一种持续性皮肤病，其特征为疼痛性病变或充满脓液的肿块，主要发生在皮肤弯曲的部位。它是一种使人毁容的疾病，会显著降低受影响者的生活质量。开发新的、有效的 HS 治疗方法至关重要，但重要的是要及早识别和诊断，尤其是在初级保健环境中。
评估初级保健环境中 HS 的流行病学和临床相关性。本研究利用了意大利健康搜索数据库（HSD）。采用病例对照设计来研究 HS 的临床相关性。病例根据操作算法分为“明确”或“可能”。根据日历期间、年龄、性别和随访时间等因素，每个病例最多匹配 10 个对照。
HS 的累积患病率从 2002 年的 0.06%增加到 2021 年的 0.46%。当仅考虑“明确”病例时，患病率几乎低了 10 倍（0%-0.02%）。发现一些临床相关性与 HS 呈正相关，包括肥胖、血脂异常、高血压、自身免疫性/炎症性疾病和抑郁。
本研究发现 HS 的诊断正确，这与临床相关性预期的关系一致。当包括可能病例进行分析时，这些关联仍然一致。这些证据可以作为向全科医生提出决策支持系统的基础，以帮助识别具有某些共存病症的个体中的 HS。
