Hidradenitis suppurativa: surgical and other management techniques.

BACKGROUND: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, recurrent, painful, debilitating, and emotionally distressing disease.

OBJECTIVE: This article aims to provide a comprehensive review of HS, with a focus on surgical and procedural therapies for this devastating disease.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: By searching PubMed using the keyword "hidradenitis suppurativa," this author identified 718 articles on this disease, among which surgical and other procedural treatments for HS represent the most common topic. This literature was reviewed.

RESULTS: Management of this devastating disease comprises medical, surgical, and other procedural therapies. Medical management can be successful in controlling mild diseases, but recurrences are frequent. Surgery is considered the only curative therapy for HS.

CONCLUSION: More randomized controlled trials are needed to clarify the relative efficacy of various treatment modalities; however, surgical and procedural treatments can be more successful than medical treatments, especially for patients with severe diseases.