Intralesional Triamcinolone for Fistulous Tracts in Hidradenitis Suppurativa: An Uncontrolled Prospective Trial with Clinical and Ultrasonographic Follow-Up.

BACKGROUND: There is little evidence on the use of intralesional triamcinolone (ILT) for managing fistulous tracts in hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical and ultrasound response to ILT for single fistulous lesions in HS patients. METHODS: A prospective open-label study was conducted to assess response to ILT (40 mg/mL) for fistulous tracts in HS. Consecutive patients (Hurley II stage exclusively) presenting to our department were recruited from August 2016 to August 2018. They received a single injection of ILT as the sole treatment. Lesions were assessed clinically and by ultrasound at baseline and 90 days. RESULTS: Of the 53 included HS patients with fistulous tracts, 36 (67.9%) were women, 30 (56.6%) were smokers, and 36 (67.9%) were obese or overweight (body mass index ≥25). Median Sartorius score was 9.0 (IQR 9.0-36.0), and median duration of the lesion treated was 6 months (IQR 3.0-12.0). Fistulous tracts were injected with 0.5 mL triamcinolone 40 mg/mL. Seven patients were lost to follow-up. At 90 days, 20 (43.5%) lesions showed clinical and ultrasound resolution, 13 (28.3%) showed only clinical resolution while persisting on ultrasound, and 13 (28.3%) persisted both clinically and on ultrasound. Mean clinical size decreased from 17.0 to 5.1 mm (p < 0.0001), while mean length on ultrasound decreased from 16.0 to 8.6 mm (p < 0.0001). LIMITATIONS: Small sample size and no control group. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that ILT is beneficial for small fistulous tracts in HS.

Hidradenitis Suppurativa is Associated with Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Cross-sectional Study.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is currently the most common cause of end-stage liver disease. The aim of this controlled cross-sectional study was to assess the association between NAFLD and hidradenitis suppurativa. NAFLD was assessed using hepatic ultrasound. A total of 125 patients with hidradenitis suppurativa and 120 patients without hidradenitis suppurativa were recruited, matched for age, sex and body mass index (< 25 or ≥ 25 kg/m2), a risk factor related to NAFLD. Both groups presented similar proportions of overweight or obesity (89.6% vs 90%). Patients with hidradenitis suppurativa presented significantly higher prevalence of NAFLD compared with those with non- hidradenitis suppurativa (57.6% vs 31.7%, p < 0.001). Multivariable analysis confirmed independent association between hidradenitis suppurativa and NAFLD (odds ratio 2.79, 95% confidence interval 1.48-5.25; p = 0.001) besides age, body mass index, hypertension and hypertransaminasaemia. Hidradenitis suppurativa is significantly associated with the development of NALFD regardless of the presence of classic metabolic risk factors.

Serum Zinc Levels in Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND: Serum zinc levels in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) have not been previously studied. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to investigate the association between HS and serum zinc levels. METHODS: A multicenter, prospective clinical and analytical case-control study was designed to assess the possible association between HS and serum zinc levels. Consecutive patients with moderate or severe HS (Hurley II or III exclusively) were enrolled. A control population was recruited from primary care clinics. Fasting blood samples were extracted from each patient and serum zinc levels determined. Candidate predictors for low serum zinc levels were determined using logistic regression models. RESULTS: In total, 122 patients with HS and 122 control subjects were studied. Of the 122 HS patients, 79 (64.8%) were Hurley II and 43 (35.2%) were Hurley III. Low serum zinc levels (≤ 83.3 µg/dL) were more prevalent in HS (adjusted odds ratio [ORa] 6.7, P < 0.001). After logistic regression analysis, low serum zinc levels were associated with Hurley III (ORa 4.4, P < 0.001), Dermatology Life Quality Index ≥ 9 (ORa 3.1, P = 0.005), number of affected sites ≥ 3 (ORa 2.4, P = 0.042), genital location (ORa 2.9, P = 0.009), and perineal location (ORa 2.5, P = 0.025). CONCLUSION: Low serum zinc levels are more prevalent in HS than in a healthy population, an indicator that may also be associated with disease severity.