62783 Beyond 7 years: Investigating Diagnostic Delay of Hidradenitis Suppurativa at an Urban Tertiary Care Dermatology Clinic

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

9-1-2025

Publication Title

J Am Acad Dermatol

Abstract

Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by painful nodules and sinus tunnels which significantly impacts quality of life. Diagnosis of HS is difficult and often delayed due to the lack of diagnostic tests, relying on clinical observation and patient history. The average diagnostic delay is between 7-10 years. The literature lacks substantial evidence on the impact of insurance status, family history, and comorbidities on diagnostic delays. Our study evaluated these and other previously studied factors' association with HS diagnostic delay at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. Data including age of HS onset, age of HS diagnosis, first degree family history, comorbidities and tobacco use history was extracted from the new patient intake forms at the HS specialty clinic from (January 2020 – March 2024) with demographics from chart reviews. Data from 228 records were analyzed. Diagnostic delay was defined as diagnosis over one year post-onset. A generalized additive model with non-linear regression was used to assess the association between each variable and average diagnostic delay. 228 records were reviewed, out of which 196 complete records were included in the analysis. Increased age (p=0.0329) and positive family history (p=0.0135) were associated with longer diagnostic delays after adjusting for confounders. Tobacco use revealed the longest delay (eight years). Sex was not significantly associated with diagnostic delay. Final analyses will include results for covariates including insurance status, comorbidities and average delay in years. This study will offer key insights into factors contributing to HS diagnostic delay.

Volume

93

First Page

AB133

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