title: A case of severe hidradenitis suppurativa contributing to a death and a review of the literature.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to report a fatal complication of hidradenitis suppurativa and a review of the literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  A case of severe hidradenitis suppurativa obscuring the diagnosis and precluding the treatment of a ruptured sigmoid diverticulum is presented.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We describe a 48-year-old woman who had a long history of untreated hidradenitis suppurativa with extensive vulvar involvement and poor nutritional status. The advanced state of her disease on initial presentation led directly to her death.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although it is a treatable disease, hidradenitis suppurativa can lead to systemic sequelae severe enough to contribute directly to death.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, †Division of Gynecologic Oncology, ‡Department of Pathology. The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, 1A.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Groginsky
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Olson
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Lallas
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Buekers
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Potts
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Sorosky