Inflammatory bowel disease is associated with hidradenitis suppurativa: Results from a multicenter cross-sectional study

Background Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is often associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD; Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis). However, the prevalence of IBD in HS patients is unknown. Objective To determine the prevalence of IBD in HS patients, and determine if patients with HS and IBD have a distinct HS phenotype. Methods For this multicenter, cross-sectional study, HS patients were asked during their first consultation if they had IBD. The diagnosis of IBD was checked in the medical files, and clinical characteristics were collected. Results IBD had a prevalence of 3.3% (95% CI 2.3-4.4) in 1076 HS patients. The prevalence of Crohn's disease was 2.5% (95% CI 1.6-3.4) and the prevalence of ulcerative colitis was 0.8% (95% CI 0.3-1.4). HS-IBD patients were less frequently obese (13.9% vs 31.2%, P = .04) than HS-only patients, but there were no differences in gender, family history of HS, disease severity, body areas affected by HS, or smoking status. Limitations The prevalence might be underestimated since HS patients might still develop IBD. Conclusion The prevalence of IBD in HS patients (3.3%) is 4-8 times higher than the prevalence in the general northern European population (0.41%-0.74%), however HS-IBD patients do not have a distinct HS phenotype.

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