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TOPLINE:

A meta-analysis of 19 studies found that pediatric patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) show an increased rate of medical and psychiatric comorbidities, including obesity.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 observational studies (14 US studies), which included 17,267 pediatric patients with HS (76.7% girls; mean age, 12-17 years) and 8,259,944 pediatric patients without HS.
• The primary outcome was the prevalence of comorbidities in pediatric patients with HS.
• The main categories included metabolic, endocrinologic, inflammatory, psychiatric, dermatologic, and genetic comorbidities.

TAKEAWAY:

• In the meta-analysis, the most prevalent condition in patients with HS was acne vulgaris (43%), followed by obesity (37%), anxiety (18%), and hirsutism (14%).
• Obesity showed moderate certainty association with HS in children, with prevalence ratios ranging up to 2.48, odds ratios ranging from 1.27 to 2.68, and hazard ratios up to 1.52 (P < .001).
• Researchers also found a probable association between depression and HS (moderate certainty), with all studies reporting a higher incidence among patients with HS.
• An association with diabetes was reported in three studies (low certainty).

IN PRACTICE:

“Given the significant risk of chronic comorbidities and negative sequelae in pediatric HS, our findings highlight a need for comprehensive comorbidity screening clinical guidelines in this population and emphasize the involvement of multidisciplinary teams to achieve this,” the study authors wrote.

SOURCE:

The study was led by Samiha T. Mohsen, MSc, University of Toronto, Toronto, and was published online on June 11 in JAMA Dermatology.

LIMITATIONS: 

Several of the included studies were graded as low quality, and most studies did not compare the risks of comorbidities between the two groups. Most of the studies were from the US, which could limit generalizability. Significant heterogeneity was reported across the studies.

DISCLOSURES:

The funding source was not disclosed. Three authors reported receiving grants, personal fees, and honoraria from multiple pharmaceutical companies, including AbbVie, Novartis, UCB, Incyte, Novartis, Celltrion, Leo Pharma, Pfizer, Sanofi, and the Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance. Other authors reported no conflicts of interest.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.