Interesting Open Access Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) Reads – March 2025
Using the search term “hidradenitis suppurativa”, a total of 85 publications appeared in PubMed during March 2025.
Of these,
• Approx. 68% (58/85) were open access publications, and
• Approx. 5% (4/85) had (identifiable) patient co-authors
1: Completed Suicide in Patients with Skin Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
The authors of this study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the risk of completed suicide in adult patients with skin diseases. The authors searched several databases for studies assessing the relationship between a skin disease and death by suicide and identified 13 skin diseases for inclusion. The researchers found HS and melanoma are risk factors for death by suicide.
Citation: Hrvatin Stancic B, Henning MAS, Eriksen N, Emilie Dornonville de la Cour J, Saunte DML, Jemec GBE. Completed suicide in patients with skin disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2025 Mar 17. doi: 10.1111/jdv.20609. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40091608.
2. Cumulative Life Course Impairment in HS
Cumulative life course impairment (CLCI) is a measure of how an illness affect the life course trajectory of a patient, including effects on major life decisions and opportunities. The authors of this study reviewed the literature for evidence of CLCI in HS. They found that the age of onset, disease severity and associated comorbidities occur at a time of life that can impact educational attainment, formation of relationships, and career trajectory in people with HS.
Link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jdv.20607
Citation: Doroudian Tehrani M, Gibson RS, Snyder CL, Porter ML, Kimball AB. Cumulative life course impairment: Evidence for hidradenitis suppurativa. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2025 Mar 11. doi: 10.1111/jdv.20607. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40065664.
3. High Sexual Impact of HS on Women and Reduced Desire for Children
In this study, a team from France (including two patients with HS as co-authors) examined the impact of HS on sexual activity and desire for children in women. A survey was distributed to patients with (dermatologist) confirmed HS in 26 centres in France. Among respondents, almost half reported reduced sexual activity, almost one in eight had ceased sexual activity, and over one in three had given up or hesitated having a child due to their HS. The findings underscore the deep impact HS can have on sexual activity and family planning.
Citation: Fite C, Taieb C, Nassif A, Delage-Toriel M, Cassius C, Skayem C, Le Floc’h C, Kerob D, Ben Hayoun Y, Bru-Daprés MF, Moulin M, Demessant-Flavigny AL, Joubert JM, Caillet G, Halioua B, Zimmermann C, Pommaret E, Nicol I, Cogrel O, Richard MA. High sexual impact of hidradenitis suppurativa in women and more than a third of patients renounce desire for pregnancy: nationwide study in France. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2025 Mar 18:llaf116. doi: 10.1093/ced/llaf116. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40100983.
4. Pain During HS Flares
While pain is the most troublesome physical symptom in people with HS, little is known about the burden of pain during a HS flare-up. The authors of this study conducted a questionnaire-based study at their centre, inpatients with HS (n = 66), to assess pain levels using a numerical rating scale (NRS) (1 = no pain, 10 = worst imaginable pain). When asked about their most recent flare, 56.1% of patients reported a pain level of ≥ 8 NRS and 24.2% a pain level of 10 NRS; mean pain levels were ≥ 7 NRS. No correlation was found between disease severity (assessed via Hurley stage and International Hidradenitis Suppurativa Severity Score System [IHS4]) and pain during the last acute flare.
Link: https://medicaljournalssweden.se/actadv/article/view/43124
Citation: Regensberger F, André F, Schmuth M. Flare-ups: New Insights into the Burden of Pain in Hidradenitis Suppurativa. Acta Derm Venereol. 2025 Mar 18;105:adv43124. doi: 10.2340/actadv.v105.43124. PMID: 40099821.
5. Patient Views and Experiences of HS Treatments in the UK
This study from the UK (including two patients with HS as co-authors) sought to explore patients’ views and experiences of treatment for HS to inform clinical care. Purposive sampling was undertaken and qualitative interviews with 35 people with HS were conducted. Past experiences and knowledge, along with healthcare professional recommendations can be influential on both patient’s views and which treatments they ultimately receive. Regarding experiences, positive and negative experiences across all treatment types used within the study were reported, highlighting the need for a personalised treatment approach.
Citation: Howells L, Leighton P, Thomas KS, Collier F, Gibbons A, Harris C, Hood K, Riaz M, Rodrigues J, Stanton H, Thomas-Jones E, Ingram JR. A qualitative interview study exploring patient views and experiences of treatment for hidradenitis suppurativa in the UK. Br J Dermatol. 2025 Mar 21:ljaf046. doi: 10.1093/bjd/ljaf046. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40112861.
6. Guide to Managing HS During Pregnancy and Lactation
Another welcome addition to the HS literature, given that HS disproportionally affects women of childbearing age. Furthermore, fluctuations in disease activity are common during pregnancy and postpartum. When developing an appropriate treatment plan for pregnant or breastfeeding patients with HS, the safety and efficacy of treatments and procedures must be considered for the woman and foetus or infant. This guide provides an updated evidence-based review of the management of HS in pregnancy with an emphasis on safety data.
Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40257-025-00935-x
Citation: Ghanshani R, Lee K, Crew AB, Shi VY, Hsiao JL. A Guide to the Management of Hidradenitis Suppurativa in Pregnancy and Lactation. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2025 Mar 25. doi: 10.1007/s40257-025-00935-x. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40131719.
7. The PBI-HS Outcomes Tool for the Assessment of Patient Benefits
This research team developed and validated a disease-specific instrument for recording the patient-side benefit of therapy in HS. An open-item survey was used to develop the 26-item questionnaire, which was then validated over two time points in 72 patients. The authors report that this PBI-HS tool allows patients to clearly define their personal needs for therapy prior to treatment, from which the achievement of these personal goals can then be calculated, thereby putting the patient perspective at the centre.
Citation: Kirsten N, Augustin M, Blome C, Topp J, Schwager R, Bechara FG, Girbig G, Pinter A, Anzengruber F, Lindegaard M, Zouboulis CC, Otten M. Development and Validation of a Disease-specific Outcomes Tool for the Assessment of Patient Benefits of Treatment for Hidradenitis Suppurativa: the PBI-HS. Acta Derm Venereol. 2025 Mar 6;105:adv41298. doi: 10.2340/actadv.v105.41298. PMID: 40047385; PMCID: PMC11898107.
8. Evaluation of Stigmatization in Patients with HS Using the PUSH-D Score
The authors of this report from France (including two patient expert co-authors) evaluated stigmatization in patients with HS using the Patient Unique Stigmatization Holistic tool in Dermatology (PUSH-D). The PUSH-D score is a recently developed tool that assesses stigmatization in skin conditions. A survey was distributed to patients with (dermatologist) confirmed HS in 26 centres in France. The authors report males with HS experienced higher stigma with PUSH-D. In addition, severe disease, frequent discharge, and intense residual pain were also significant predictors of stigma. Body weight and sexual health were also strongly linked to stigmatization in HS
Link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jdv.20628
Citation: Fite C, Taieb C, Nassif A, Delage-Toriel M, Cassius C, Skayem C, Le Floc’h C, Kerob D, BenHayoun Y, Bru MF, Moulin M, Demessant-Flavigny AL, Joubert JM, Caillet G, Halioua B, Zimmermann C, Pommaret E, Nicol I, Cogrel O, Richard MA. Evaluation of stigmatization in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa using the PUSH-D score. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2025 Mar 3. doi: 10.1111/jdv.20628. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40026257.
9. Potential Predictors of Biological Therapy Intensification in Moderate-To-Severe HS
Biologics are often used to treat moderate-to-severe HS (two biologics have been approved in the past 2 years for treating moderate-to-severe HS). However, some patients experience partial or loss of response over time with the recommended doses, requiring dose intensification. The authors of this retrospective multicentre study aimed to identify predictors of biological therapy intensification in patients with HS. Prior use of biologics and adalimumab biosimilars were significant predictors of intensification. Certain patient profiles may require monitoring to optimise treatment outcomes.
Citation: Melgosa Ramos FJ, García Ruiz R, Martorell A. Potential Predictors of Biological Therapy Intensification in Moderate-To-Severe Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A Multicentre Study. Australas J Dermatol. 2025 Mar;66(2):e35-e38. doi: 10.1111/ajd.14412. Epub 2025 Jan 7. PMID: 39777724.
10. Cancer Risk in HS: Literature Review
This systematic review explores the increased cancer risk in patients with HS, particularly cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and lymphoma. Chronic inflammation and immune dysregulation in HS have been identified as key factors contributing to malignant transformation, which are often observed in areas of prolonged tissue damage. Immune dysregulation in HS-affected areas, compounded by scarring and lymphatic disruption, further exacerbates tumorigenic potential. The NOTCH signaling pathway can act as a tumour suppressor or proto-oncogene, depending on the context and mutations in NOTCH and TP53 are common in SCC linked to HS. There is conflicting evidence on the cancer risk associated with anti-TNF or IL-17 therapies, both used in HS treatment. Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms linking chronic inflammation in HS to cancer development.
Link: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.2147/CCID.S512373
Citation: Martora F, Tommasino N, Battista T, Potestio L, Megna M. Hidradenitis Suppurativa Cancer Risk: A Review of the Literature. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2025 Mar 18;18:617-626. doi: 10.2147/CCID.S512373. PMID: 40124933.
