Hydrosadenitis, which is a chronic skin disease that causes the appearance of small inflamed nodules under the skin. There is no cure, however, its symptoms can be alleviated and controlled with some treatments that include antibiotics, corthroid injections or surgery, for example.
Normally, hydrosadenitis appears in the skin fold sites, such as armpits or groin, after adolescence, and tends to worsen over the years. Therefore, treatment should be started as soon as possible to avoid aggravation of the disease, which may include:
- Antibiotics: can be used as ointments to pass on the skin or tablets to swallow and help prevent the onset of inflamed nodules on the skin;
- Steroid remedies: may be injected directly into the nodules to reduce inflammation during crises or used in the form of tablets to try to avoid the symptoms;
- Immunomodulators are medicines that reduce the immune response and, therefore, decrease the chances of developing inflamed nodules.
These remedies should be directed by a dermatologist, and treatment should be constantly evaluated, as some of these medicines may increase the risk of infection or cancer.
Even in the most severe cases where it is not possible to control the symptoms with just the use of medicines, the doctor may recommend having surgery.
Surgery for hydrosadenitis
The surgery for hydrosadenitis is usually indicated for the most persistent cases of the disease, in which it is not possible to alleviate the symptoms only with the use of medicines.
The type of surgical treatment usually varies according to the amount of skin affected, and when the disease appears only in a small area, small cuts may be made to drain the lumps, relieving pain and swelling.
Already when the hydrosadenite appears in larger areas, the doctor can remove all affected skin and replace it with a healthy skin graft removed from another part of the body. Although this treatment can treat the hydrosadenitis in the region, it does not prevent the onset of the disease in other places of the skin.