The influence of gender and smoking on hidradenitis suppurativa: A retrospective study of 161 patients in Taiwan

Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a severe dermatological disease that significantly reduces life quality. However, the etiology of this disease remains largely unknown. Objectives: We sought to identify the factors associated with clinical presentation and the severity of HS. The features of HS between genders and smokers/nonsmokers were compared. Methods: A single-center retrospective study of 161 patients with HS was conducted and analyzed. Results: The male-to-female ratio in HS was approximately 2:1 in Taiwan. The severity of HS was significantly associated with smoking (odds ratio 2.20, P = 0.018). HS in men more frequently occurred in the gluteal region. Nonsmokers in HS tended to have earlier onset age and axillary lesions. Smokers were prone to have exclusive gluteal involvement and negative family history of HS. Conclusion: Our data revealed smoking correlated with the severity of HS. Smoking status and gender influence the clinical characteristics in HS.