ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The findings of most studies suggest that depression and anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric comorbidities in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa/acne inversa (HS/AI). METHODS: In a prospective study, 51 patients with HS/AI were further examined for psychiatric comorbidity using a standardized interview and questionnaires. RESULTS: In psychiatric examination, 29.4% of HS/AI patients had additional mental symptoms, mainly manifested as depressive disorder. The HS/AI patients were rather young and female, and they showed a high incidence of nicotine and alcohol use, and a positive family history of paternal alcohol dependence. In addition, HS/AI patients experienced more severe psychosocial impairments in the form of lack of partnership and lower school attainment. CONCLUSIONS: Acne inversa is a severe chronic inflammatory skin disease that, like other inflammatory dermatoses, is associated with mental comorbidity and psychosocial impairments. Since especially young patients are affected, a psychiatric-psychotherapeutic cotreatment should be considered already at an early stage.
