Children with hidradenitis suppurativa increased the risk of comorbidities: JAMA
A new study published in the Journal of American Medical Association showed that the prevalence of physical and mental comorbidities was greater in children with hidradenitis suppurativa.
Many children suffer from hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), a chronic, inflammatory skin condition marked by painful nodules in intertriginous areas. Comorbidities, including metabolic and behavioral diseases, might negatively affect the quality of life for a considerable number of individuals with pediatric-onset HS. HS is characterized by twin comedones and painful subcutaneous nodules. Thus, Samiha Mohsen and colleagues carried out this investigation to ascertain the total pooled prevalence of comorbidities in pediatric patients with HS as well as to assess the relationship between HS and pertinent comorbidities in pediatric patients.
On February 20, 2025, the Cochrane Central Register, PubMed/MEDLINE, and Embase were searched without limitations from the beginning of the database. Included were original studies that documented the prevalence of pediatric HS or its correlation with comorbidities. Key search phrases for pediatric HS and other comorbidity categories were included in the search.
The degree of evidence certainty was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology. Random-effects modeling was used to pool the data. To determine pooled prevalence rates, meta-analyses of proportions were performed, classifying the data according to certain comorbidities (such as obesity, anxiety, overweight, and others).
There were 19 trials in all, including 17,267 pediatric HS cases and 8,259,944 controls. The majority of pediatric HS patients in the trials were female (mean of 76.7% [11,683 of 15,232]). Comorbidities that were most common included hirsutism (pooled percentage, 14%; 95% CI, 6-21), anxiety (pooled proportion, 18%; 95% CI, 4-31), obesity (pooled proportion, 37%; 95% CI, 27-46), and acne vulgaris (pooled proportion, 43%; 95% CI, 21-65).
3 research studies found a correlation between childhood HS and diabetes (GRADE: low certainty), whereas many studies found a correlation between pediatric HS and obesity or depression (GRADE: moderate certainty). Overall, a multidisciplinary approach may be beneficial, as evidenced by the higher frequency of chronic medical and psychological comorbidities among juvenile patients with HS in this research.
Source:
Mohsen, S. T., Price, E. L., Lara-Corrales, I., Levy, R., & Sibbald, C. (2025). Prevalence of comorbidities among pediatric patients with hidradenitis suppurativa: A meta-analysis. JAMA Dermatology (Chicago, Ill.). https://doi.org/10.1001/jamadermatol.2025.1565
