Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory cutaneous disease characterized by recurrent painful nodules, abscesses and sinus tract on the apocrine gland-bearing skin. The role of sex hormones in the pathogenesis as well as the use of hormonal treatment in the management of HS is still debated. We performed a retrospective cohort study including 183 patients to assess the influence of combined estrogen-progestin oral contraceptive (COC) in HS onset and disease severity. Univariable and multivariable analyses highlighted that the patients undergoing COC therapy had a later onset of HS, more precisely 9 years after the patients who have not received COC, independently to body mass index, family history, smoking, acne, age of menarche, and concomitant gynecological disorders. This study suggests that COC use could influence the development and the progression of HS and supports the key role of sex hormones in the pathogenesis of the disease.
© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of British Association of Dermatologists. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact [email protected] for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact [email protected].