Smoking cessation outcomes in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa: a retrospective analysis

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease manifesting as recurrent abscesses and nodules that may lead to fistulas, draining sinuses and scarring.1 Smoking remains a significant issue among patients with HS, with an ongoing need for effective management to support smoking cessation. A meta‐analysis found that patients with HS are four times more likely to be smokers than are controls without HS.2 Nonsmokers have been previously shown to have a greater response to first‐line medical therapy of HS compared with smokers.3 Additionally, smoking is often a relative contracation to complex surgical intervention (e.g. flap reconstruction) for HS.