[Hidradenitis suppurativa--treatment with myocutaneous island flap or the traditional method].

Inflammations of the apocrine sweat glands are characterized by painful, nodose and often superficially phlogistic infiltrates with a tendency towards abscess-formation and fistulation. These foci of inflammation are situated particularly in the armpit as well as the anal and genital region. The failure of conservative therapy--e.g., application of antibacterial ointments, red light, short-wave therapy or irradiation--is followed by a surgical intervention which involves excising the abscess cavity and leaving the wound open for secondary closure by granulation. The resultant scar is an impairment both functionally and cosmetically, particularly in the axilla; and, in many cases, a new focus of inflammation eventually develops in the immediate vicinity. For multiple occurrence of sudoriparous abscesses in the axilla with undermining of the surrounding cutaneous soft tissue mantle and fistulation, we therefore suggest the following therapeutic concept as an alternative to conventional methods: radical removal of the focus of inflammation far into the healthy tissue with concomitant excision of all sweat glands in the affected area and coverage of the resultant defect with a partial myocutaneous island flap from the latissimus dorsi muscle.