title: New insights into the diagnosis of hidradenitis suppurativa: Clinical presentations and phenotypes.
abstract: Current classifications for hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), such as the Hurley staging system, are not very specific. The absence of rigorous classifications is incongruous with the clinical variability of the condition. There is no pathognomonic sign for HS that leads to a diagnosis that is unquestionable. Consequently, diagnosis is made largely through clinical presentation of the condition. The use of several validated tools assists in confirming the diagnosis and the severity of the disease. In future investigations, the identification of phenotypes and clinical subtypes--taking into account genetic variants--will serve to identify subpopulations of patients who are responsive to particular therapies, thereby improving the overall therapeutic picture for patients with HS. There is a potential for personalized, tailored delivery of therapy in the HS setting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: h.vanderzee@erasmusmc.nl.
authors.forename: Hessel H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: van der Zee
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Roskilde Hospital, Health Sciences Faculty, University of Copenhagen, Roskilde, Denmark.
authors.forename: Gregor B E
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Jemec
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D017497:Hidradenitis Suppurativa / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents
keywords: Hurley staging; Physician Global Assessment; Sartorius score; clinical subtypes; hidradenitis suppurativa; inflammatory; noninflammatory; severity