Prevalence of Suppurative Hidradenitis and Eczema in the General population – POSHE study
Hidradenitis suppurativa:
Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a common, debilitating, chronic inflammatory skin disease with recurrent painful abscesses and nodules in the intertriginous regions of the body such as the axilla and groin. In a later stage, formation of sinus tracts and hypertrophic scars can occur. This disease has a substantial impact on the quality of life and it takes approximately seven years for patients to get a diagnosis. The exact prevalence of HS is unknown and estimations vary from 0.1% to almost 4%. A large cross-sectional study on the prevalence of HS in the Netherlands has not been conducted yet.
Eczema:
Eczema is an inflammation of the skin of the hands, which can be caused by atopic dermatitis, irritating factors (e.g. water, detergents) and contact allergens (e.g. nickel, preservatives). Unknown factors might play a role in its pathophysiology. This inflammatory skin disease is common and tends to be chronic, causing a significant deterioration of the quality of life. Most of these prevalence studies have been conducted in Scandinavian countries. The exact prevalence of eczema, including atopic dermatitis (AD) and hand eczema (HE), in the Netherlands among the general population remains unknown.