Objective: To understand the degree of recognition of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) among physicians in Japan and the treatment in situation current clinical practice.
Methods: Online questionnaire survey was conducted among physicians in medical departments related to HS treatment, and their responses were compiled and analyzed.
Results and discussion: Responses were obtained from 517 physicians. The disease name HS was widely known among dermatologists. The lesions in the armpit were often considered as HS. The lesions on the buttock were often considered as chronic pyoderma. If the lesions in the armpit were severe, they tended to be considered as chronic pyoderma. However, among general practitioners of internal medicine, many physicians did not know HS; therefore, it was considered that if a patient visits a medical department other than the department of dermatology, it is highly likely that accurate diagnosis will not be made.
In recent years, it has been considered that bacterial infection is not the main cause of HS but that HS is an autoimmune disease caused by abnormality in the natural immunity in hair follicles. Even among dermatologists, ≤50% responded that the etiology of HS was abnormality in the immune system. This suggested that most of the physicians may widely use antibiotics in HS patients as a treatment for general infections. In the future, raising awareness about the diagnosis and treatment of HS is desired not only among dermatologists but also among physicians who possibly treat patients with HS.
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