Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) generally appears after puberty, is infrequently seen in younger children, and early onset, which is associated with more widespread disease, is more common in children with a positive family history of HS. When compared with adults with HS, children with HS are more likely to have hormonal imbalances, making hormonal investigations integral to disease management in pediatric patients. HS affects intertriginous areas, presenting with double-ended comedones, tender subcutaneous nodules, purulent discharge, and the formation of sinus tracts, hypertrophic fibrotic scars, and dermal contractures. Treatment of HS in children has not been well studied. The goals of therapy in the pediatric setting are to alleviate pain, minimize inflammation and scarring, prevent disease progression, and postpone the need for surgery. Mild cases can be treated with topical antibiotics, while topical and oral antibiotics are the primary therapies for moderate forms of HS. Modalities like biologic agents, laser therapy, or surgery have been reserved for severe pediatric cases of HS. Early recognition and treatment are critical to minimize the effects of the disease on the life course. Given the significant impact of the condition on quality of life and self-esteem, there is a clear role for psychological support.

https://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(15)01999-4/pdf

Hidradenitis suppurativa in the pediatric population.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a burdensome disease and has the potential to affect the life course of patients It is a rare disease in children, and the recorded literature is correspondingly scarce This article reviews the therapeutic options for HS in children and adolescents, and highlights particular differences or challenges with treating patients in this age group compared with adults The work-up of paediatric patients with HS should include considerations of possible endocrine co-morbidities and obesity Medical therapy of lesions may include topical clindamycin Systemic therapy may include analgesics, clindamycin and rifampicin, finasteride, corticosteroids or tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) blockers Superinfections should be appropriately treated Scarring lesions generally require surgery

Hidradenitis Suppurativa in Children and Adolescents: A Review of Treatment Options

https://www.cidjournal.com/article/S0738-081X(14)00306-X/pdf

Hidradenitis suppurativa in prepubescent and pubescent children

Background Although recent hidradenitis suppurativa studies have shown that early-onset disease is associated with a positive family history and more widespread disease, research in pediatric hidradenitis suppurativa is limited. Methods Thirty-three children diagnosed with hidradenitis suppurativa during an 18-month period were included in this institutional review board-approved, retrospective chart review. Information on demographic characteristic, family history, and timing of onset (prepubescent vs postpubescent) was extracted. The Fisher exact test, Cochran-Armitage exact trend test, and chi-square test were used to examine the association between prepubescent or postpubescent onset of hidradenitis suppurativa and sex, disease severity, and family history. Results A significantly higher percentage of patients with postpubescent onset were female (85.7%) than male (14.3%), whereas those with prepubescent onset were more likely to be male (58.3%) than female (41.7%; P = .02). Associations between disease onset and positive family history of hidradenitis suppurativa (P = .47) or higher Hurley stage of disease (P = .15) were not statistically significant. Conclusion Boys are more likely to have prepubescent onset of hidradenitis suppurativa and girls to have postpubescent onset. This shift in sex distribution is unexplained, but we hypothesize that, whereas the role of ovarian hormones in the pathogenesis of HS may underlie much of adult-onset disease, it is less important in prepubescent disease.

Hidradenitis suppurativa in children: The Henry Ford experience.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) rarely affects pediatric patients. The literature on pediatric HS patients is scarce. This is a cross-sectional study based on case note review or interviews and clinical examination of 140 pediatric patients undergoing secondary or tertiary level care. Patients were predominantly female (75.5%, n = 105) with a median age of 16. 39% reported 1st-degree relative with HS. Median BMI percentile was 88, and 11% were smokers (n = 15). Median modified Sartorius score was 8.5. Notable comorbidities found were acne (32.8%, n = 45), hirsutism (19.3%, n = 27), and pilonidal cysts (16.4%, n = 23). Resorcinol (n = 27) and clindamycin (n = 25) were the most frequently used topical treatments. Patients were treated with tetracycline (n = 32), or oral clindamycin and rifampicin in combination (n = 29). Surgical excision was performed in 18 patients, deroofing in five and incision in seven patients. Obesity seemed to be prominent in the pediatric population and correlated to parent BMI, suggesting a potential for preventive measures for the family. Disease management appeared to be similar to that of adult HS, bearing in mind that the younger the patient, the milder the disease in majority of cases.

Clinical characteristics of pediatric hidradenitis suppurativa: a cross-sectional multicenter study of 140 patients.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), a painful and chronic condition, commonly occurs in women and coincides with post-pubertal increase in sex hormones. A 13-year-old pre-pubertal HIV-infected male child presented to our clinic with a discharging right axillary lymph node swelling. The biopsy of the lesion showed features of HS. The patient was treated with oral antibiotics, oral steroids, and local antibiotic wash. Though the patient responded to this treatment, the clinical response was not adequate and the lesion recurred. Subsequently, the child was started on antiretroviral therapy (zidovudine, lamivudine, and nevirapine). Following these medications, the lesions healed and had not recurred till we last examined the child. Thus, this is a rare presentation of a known condition in an HIV-infected pre-pubertal male child, which did not respond to usual modalities of treatment and had to be treated with antiretroviral therapy.

P Laddha

Papers

Hidradenitis suppurativa in a HIV-infected child.