Efficacy and Patient Satisfaction Associated With Intramuscular Triamcinolone Therapy for Acute Flares of Hidradenitis Suppurativa

Background: A lack of consensus exists regarding acute flare management in hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). Intramuscular triamcinolone (IMTAC) therapy is useful in numerous inflammatory conditions; however, it has not been investigated for acute HS flares.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and patient experience associated with IMTAC therapy for acute, severe HS flares.

Methods: Retrospective analysis and surveys of 45 HS patients were conducted at Albert Einstein College of Medicine/ Montefiore HS Center, Bronx, NY, USA.

Results: Follow-up visits 6.77 (4.45) weeks after IMTAC therapy revealed significant reductions in mean HS-Physician Global Assessment (PGA) (P < .001), C-Reactive Protein (CRP) (P = .03), increased hemoglobin (P = .004), and improved pain scores (P < .001). Adjusting for age, sex and concomitant medications, multivariate analysis yielded significantly reduced pain (P = .02) and increased hemoglobin (P = .03). Patient surveys indicate that IMTAC was well-tolerated, as reflected in positive mean responses for satisfaction (29 [64%]) and willingness to receive IMTAC injections again (42 [93%]).

Conclusions: These novel findings demonstrate that IMTAC is a safe, effective, and well accepted adjunct for acute HS management.