Hidradenitis suppurativa/Acne inversa: an endocrine skin disorder?

Abstract

Hidradenitis suppurativa / acne inversa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory, debilitating skin disorder with a largely unknown etiology. However, many observations such as the typical onset of the disease after puberty, the female predominance, the pre-menstrual flare ups and the improvement during pregnancy suggest a contribution of endocrinological factors to the emergence of the disease. In addition, the reported efficacy of anti-androgen treatment on HS indicates a possible involvement of androgens in the pathogenesis. Furthermore, the common comorbidity with metabolic syndrome points to possible interactions between endocrinological and metabolic alterations in the development of HS. Taking into account the endocrine functions of the human skin, several studies investigated the effects of hormones and the behavior of the pilosebaceous unit in the skin of patients with HS. In this review we describe the current view on the hormonal dysregulation and metabolic syndrome and their role in HS.

Keywords: Acne inversa; Androgens; Apocrine glands; Diet; Endocrinology; Hidradenitis suppurativa; Hyperandrogenism; Menstruation; Metabolic syndrome; Obesity; Retinoids; Vitamin D.