ORIGINAL ARTICLE   Free access

Giornale Italiano di Dermatologia e Venereologia 2020 August;155(4):459-63

DOI: 10.23736/S0392-0488.18.05875-3

Copyright © 2018 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Hidradenitis suppurativa/acne inversa: a prospective bacteriological study and review of the literature

Valentina BENZECRY ¹ ✉, Anna GRANCINI ², Elena GUANZIROLI ¹, Gianluca NAZZARO ¹, Mauro BARBARESCHI ¹, Angelo V. MARZANO ¹, Simona MURATORI ¹, Stefano VERALDI ¹

¹ Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Maggiore Polyclinic Hospital, IRCCS Ca’ Granda Foundation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; ² Unit of Microbiology, Central Laboratory of Clinical Chemical Analysis and Microbiology, Maggiore Polyclinic Hospital, IRCCS Ca’ Granda Foundation, Milan, Italy

BACKGROUND: Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic inflammatory disease of the hair follicle that usually involves specific anatomic areas which are partially occluded, have a higher density of eccrine and apocrine sweat glands and a higher pH. These characteristics could promote the superinfection of certain group of bacteria. We aimed to describe the bacteria that can be isolated from hidradenitis lesions and to establish a correlation between bacteriological results and clinical data.
METHODS: We prospectively enrolled forty-six patients presenting purulent or seropurulent discharge. Sixty samples were performed using swabs, which were deeply introduced in the lesions.
RESULTS: Fifty-two percent of cultures resulted positive and fifteen bacterial species were isolated. The more prevalent species were Proteus mirabilis and Staphylococcus aureus. Samples from advanced cases were more likely to yield a positive bacterial growth.
CONCLUSIONS: In our study the rate of positive cultures increased in more severe stages of the disease, thus bacterial superinfection of established lesions may contribute to maintain chronic inflammation. We could not find statistically significant correlation with the sampled anatomic area or specific group of bacteria. Larger prospective studies should be performed.

KEY WORDS: Bacteria; Hidradenitis suppurativa; Inflammation