GUIDELINES   

Giornale Italiano di Dermatologia e Venereologia 2015 December;150(6):731-9

Copyright © 2015 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

Hidradenitis suppurativa: guidelines of the Italian Society of Dermatology and Venereology (SIDeMaST) for the use of anti-TNF-α agents

Megna M. ¹, Bettoli V. ², Chimenti S. ³, Chiricozzi A. ³, Naldi L. ^{4, 5}, Virgili A. ², Girolomoni G. ⁶, Monfrecola G. ¹ ✉

¹ Section of Dermatology, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy; ² Section of Dermatology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy; ³ Department of Dermatology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; ⁴ Department of Dermatology, Azienda Ospedaliera Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy; ⁵ Centro Studi GISED, Fondazione per la Ricerca, Ospedale Maggiore (FROM), Bergamo, Italy; ⁶ Department of Medicine, Section of Dermatology and Venereology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by nodules, abscesses and sinus tracts, primarily affecting the intertriginous areas. The occlusion of the upper part of the folliculopilosebaceous unit, leading to rupture of the sebofollicular canal with the consequent development of perifollicular lympho-histiocytic inflammation, is believed to be the initial pathogenic event in HS. Giving the chronic nature of HS, its destructive impact on social, working and daily life of patients, its management is often frustrating both for patients and physicians. The HS treatment choices are influenced by disease severity and its individual subjective impact. In this article, the Board of the Italian Society of Dermatology and Venereology (SIDeMaST) on HS has prepared a document focusing on the role of biologic drugs (anti-TNF-α) in HS management, providing also a flow-chart for HS handling and the inclusion and exclusion criteria for HS treatment with anti-TNF-α.