Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) prevalence, demographics and management pathways in Australia: A population-based cross-sectional study

Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) is a painful, chronic inflammatory skin disease. Global estimates of prevalence vary between 0.03% and 4% of the population. Our main aim was to determine HS prevalence in the Australian adult population focussing on the demographics, management pathways and diagnosis r...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2018-07, Vol.13 (7), p.e0200683-e0200683
Main Authors: Calao, Miriam, Wilson, Jodie L, Spelman, Lynda, Billot, Laurent, Rubel, Diana, Watts, Alan D, Jemec, Gregor B E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acne
Adult
Age Factors
Analysis
Australia - epidemiology
Biology and Life Sciences
Body mass
Critical Pathways
Cross-Sectional Studies
Demographics
Demography
Dermatology
Diagnosis
Diagnostic systems
Family physicians
Female
Females
Furuncles
Hidradenitis Suppurativa - diagnosis
Hidradenitis Suppurativa - epidemiology
Hidradenitis Suppurativa - therapy
Humans
Income
Male
Mascots
Medical personnel
Medicine and Health Sciences
Middle Aged
Obesity
Obesity - epidemiology
People and Places
Physicians
Population
Population studies
Population-based studies
Prevalence
Quality of life
Questionnaires
Research and Analysis Methods
Risk Factors
Screening
Severity of Illness Index
Sex Factors
Skin diseases
Smoking
Smoking - epidemiology
Socioeconomic Factors
Statistical analysis
Studies
Surgeons
Young Adult
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Summary:Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) is a painful, chronic inflammatory skin disease. Global estimates of prevalence vary between 0.03% and 4% of the population. Our main aim was to determine HS prevalence in the Australian adult population focussing on the demographics, management pathways and diagnosis rate of individuals living with HS. In this population-based cross-sectional study, 17,050 individuals representative of the Australian adult population were asked through face-to-face household interviews to answer a previously validated HS screening questionnaire with high diagnostic power. Individuals who screened positive were asked additional questions, including previous diagnosis of HS and number/type of physicians consulted regarding their condition. 11,433 Australian residents answered the HS questionnaire, 88 screening positive for HS (0.77%; 95% CI 0.62-0.95). Considering the previously reported sensitivity (0.97) and positive predictive value (0.85) of the screening questionnaire, HS prevalence was estimated to be 0.67% (95% CI 0.53%-0.84%). 6 of 88 suspected HS individuals reported a pre-existing HS diagnosis (6.8%; 95% CI 3.2%-14.1%). 25.6% of the undiagnosed individuals suspected of having HS had not seen any clinicians regarding their boils; the remaining ones had consulted General Practitioners (96.7%), and clinicians from different specialties. Comparisons of individuals who screened positive for HS versus those who screened negative demonstrated statistically significant differences in gender (p = 0.0046), age (p
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0200683