ABSTRACT
Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), also known as Verneuil's disease or acne inversa, is a chronic inflammatory disease of the pilosebaceous unit affecting skin areas rich in apocrine glands and their surrounding tissues, with a strong negative impact on quality of life. HS most commonly occurs in the third and fourth decades of life, and an average delay of 7-10 years has been reported between disease onset and diagnosis. The main differential diagnoses of HS include bacterial/fungal infections, erysipelas, Crohn's disease, lymphogranuloma venereum, and granuloma inguinale. Dermoscopy examination may be useful to enhance the diagnostic accuracy of HS, allowing a better visualization of double-ended pseudocomedones and atrophic scars. Linear fibrotic bands may be interposed between adjacent atrophic scars. The recognition of these aspects may lead to the diagnosis in the case of minimal/mild HS. The most common differential diagnoses in the genital area include lichen sclerosus and postinflammatory hypopigmentation.
