Surgical Treatments
If your Hidradenitis suppurativa is severe, or it keeps occurring, your doctor may recommend surgery to drain or remove lesions that grow deep into your skin. After surgery, the condition may come back to the same part of your body or a different area.
Your doctor may recommend the following surgical options to treat your HS:
- Unroofing, a procedure that removes the skin that covers tunnels
- Limited unroofing, which helps removes one nodule, is also called punch debridement
- Electrosurgical peeling, which is used to remove damaged skin tissue
Your doctor may recommend other procedures to help remove lesions, such as laser therapy and radiation.
What are the Causes of Hidradenitis Suppurativa?
The main cause of Hidradenitis suppurativa is unknown. However, scientists believe that it is not caused by poor hygiene or any form of infection. It is also not a contagious disease. Studies show that one-third of the people with the condition have a family history, suggesting that genetic factors may contribute to the condition.
Various studies have looked at mutations in certain genes and discovered a connection to Hidradenitis suppurativa. However, more research is required to understand this connection.
Other potential causes of Hidradenitis Suppurativa include:
- Abnormal sweat gland development
- An overactive immune system
- Being overweight
- Smoking tobacco products
- Having acne
- Having another inflammatory disease of the immune system, especially inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
Hidradenitis suppurativa commonly occurs shortly after puberty, so hormones may be responsible for the developing the disease.