Prevalence of Acne Inversa (Hidradenitis Suppurativa) in China: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Epidemiological Study

Abstract

Objective: This study was performed to estimate the prevalence of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) in China and describe the demographic and clinical features of HS in the Chinese population. Methods: This multicenter clinic-based cross-sectional study was conducted in dermatology clinics within 19 hospitals located in 15 cities/provinces across China from September to October 2020. The prevalence of HS was calculated as the percentage of patients with HS among all visitors at participating clinics during the 1-month study period. HS was independently diagnosed by two certified dermatologists at each site. All visitors at participating clinics were screened, and all patients with HS were invited to participate in a questionnaire survey to elucidate the demographics and clinical features of HS in the Chinese population. Results: We identified 92 patients with HS among 274,742 visitors at participating clinics. The prevalence rate was 0.03349% or 33.49 per 100,000 population (95% confidence interval, 26.64-40.32), and the female:male ratio was 1.0:4.7. Conclusion: The overall prevalence of HS in China was lower than that in Western and other Asian countries with a predominance of male patients.

Reduced expression of CXCL16/CXCR6 is involved in the pathogenesis of hidradenitis suppurativa

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Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), also known as acne inversa, is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that mainly affects apocrine-bearing areas, with a prevalence rate of 0.03%-1.2% worldwide. 1,2 It severely affects the patient's social, working and psychological quality of life in a manner that significantly exceeds that of psoriasis and other skin diseases. 3 Cumulating data have shown that the pathogenesis of HS is multifactorial and involves immunology, bacterial colonization, hormones, genetics, etc.

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