Ectopic hidradenitis suppurativa on the dorsal foot of a road maker

HS: hidradenitis suppurativa INTRODUCTION Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, often debilitating, inflammatory skin condition that affects approximately 1% of the general population. HS is characterized by painful subcutaneous nodules or abscesses, and in a later stage tunnels (sinus tracts) are formed in the dermis and subcutaneous fat and eventually scarring can occur. These lesions are mainly seen in the inverse body areas, like the axillary, inguinal, anogenital, and inframammary regions. All these locations contain apocrine glands, are humid, and have a predisposition to mechanical stress. The diagnosis of HS, based on the modified Dessau definition, is in general a clinical one; it is based on the patient’s history, chronicity, and recurrence of typical lesions in prototypical body areas, with the possibility of typical HS lesions in atypical (ectopic) locations. Therapy of HS is still challenging; a combination therapy that involves both anti-inflammatory medicine and surgery is often needed to induce (partial) remission. Here, we report the case of a male patient who had an HS lesion on his dorsal foot possibly caused by a predisposition of HS in combination with mechanical pressure and friction from occupational-related factors.