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Hidradenitis suppurativa

Hidradenitis suppurativa: definition, causes and key figures

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), known in France as Verneuil’s disease (“maladie de Verneuil”), is a chronic inflammatory skin disease. This page explains what the disease is, whether it is contagious, who it affects and what causes it, and brings together the key figures with their sources.

This information does not replace a medical consultation. Last updated: .

What is hidradenitis suppurativa?

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), known in France as Verneuil’s disease, is a chronic inflammatory skin disease.

It is marked by the appearance of nodules (lumps under the skin) and painful abscesses. These lesions can suppurate, which means they can leak pus, form fistulas (small tunnels under the skin) and leave scars.

Hidradenitis suppurativa was first described more than 150 years ago. How it develops is not yet fully understood [1].

Is hidradenitis suppurativa contagious?

No, hidradenitis suppurativa is not contagious [Pasteur].

Hidradenitis suppurativa should not be regarded as an infectious disease. Bacteria are present in the lesions and are thought to play a part in the progression of the disease, but they are not thought to be its cause.

Is hidradenitis suppurativa caused by poor hygiene?

No, poor personal hygiene is not a cause of hidradenitis suppurativa, according to the Institut Pasteur [Pasteur]. Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic inflammatory skin disease linked to several factors.

How many people are affected by hidradenitis suppurativa?

Hidradenitis suppurativa affects about 1 to 1.5% of the French population [2].

Worldwide, hidradenitis suppurativa affects about 1% of the population [1]. In Europe, its prevalence is 1 to 4% of the population [3] [4].

In number of people, the Institut Pasteur estimates that about 670,000 people may be affected by hidradenitis suppurativa in France, based on about 1% of the population [Pasteur].

At what age does hidradenitis suppurativa start?

Hidradenitis suppurativa most often appears from puberty onwards and before the age of 40 [sheet].

It affects women more often than men, with a sex ratio of 3 to 1 [sheet]. Hidradenitis suppurativa is rare in children before puberty, but cases have been reported [5].

A family history of hidradenitis suppurativa is found in about 1/3 of cases [6].

What are the causes of hidradenitis suppurativa?

Hidradenitis suppurativa does not have a single cause: it is a multifactorial disease, involving some genetic predisposition, a disorder of inflammation and the influence of environmental factors.

Its exact mechanism is not yet well understood. The current hypothesis is that the hair follicle, the small cavity in the skin where the hair grows, becomes blocked, in a setting of inflammation [7] [8].

What are the known risk factors?

The two best-established risk factors for hidradenitis suppurativa are excess weight and smoking.

  • Overweight and obesity: the association with the disease is well established, and the severity of the disease increases with body mass index (BMI) [12].
  • Smoking: the disease is more common in smokers than in non-smokers [14].
  • Other factors have been suggested: friction, hormones and a genetic predisposition [9].

What are the key figures for hidradenitis suppurativa?

Hidradenitis suppurativa (Verneuil’s disease) affects about 1 to 1.5% of the French population, and the diagnosis is made about 8 years after the first symptoms.

Key figures for hidradenitis suppurativa: indicator, value and source
Indicator Value Source
Prevalence in the world population about 1% Sabat et al., 2020 [1]
Prevalence in the French population about 1 to 1.5% Loget et al., 2018 [2]
Number of people affected in France (estimate) about 670,000 people Institut Pasteur [Pasteur]
Prevalence in the European population 1 to 4% Ingram et al., 2019 [3]; Jemec, 2012 [4]
Age of onset most often from puberty onwards and before the age of 40 SNFCP summary sheet, 2024 [sheet]
Distribution by sex women more often than men, sex ratio of 3 to 1 SNFCP summary sheet, 2024 [sheet]
Family history about 1/3 of cases Zouboulis et al., 2015 [6]
Time between the first symptoms and the diagnosis about 8 years Loget et al., 2018 [2]
Crohn’s disease 0.8% compared with 0.3% in the general population Egeberg et al., 2017 [25]
Ulcerative colitis 1.3% compared with 0.7% in the general population Egeberg et al., 2017 [25]
Spondyloarthropathy 3.7% compared with 1 to 2% in the general population, depending on the European country Schneeweiss et al., 2020 [23]; Schneider-Burrus et al., 2016 [24]
Polycystic ovary syndrome probability 2.14 times higher Garg et al., 2018 [29]
Absence from work 33.6 ± 26.1 days per year on average SNFCP summary sheet, 2024 [sheet]
Reported job loss because of the disease 10% of patients SNFCP summary sheet, 2024 [sheet]
Depression prevalence of more than 21% Jalenques et al., 2020 [38]

“SNFCP summary sheet, 2024”: the figure appears in the summary sheet, which does not give a specific study for this item.

Find out more

The signs of the disease and the way the diagnosis is made are explained in detail on the page Symptoms and diagnosis.

See also treatments, living with the disease and which doctor to see.

What are the sources for this page?

The facts and figures on this page come from the summary sheet “Maladie de Verneuil – Épidémiologie” (SNFCP, 2024) and the studies it cites. Exception: the points marked [Pasteur], which come from the Institut Pasteur disease fact sheet.

[sheet] Ezanno AC, Fougerousse AC, Alam A. Maladie de Verneuil – Épidémiologie. Diplôme inter-universitaire de proctologie médicochirurgicale, SNFCP, 2024.

[Pasteur] Institut Pasteur. Maladie de Verneuil : symptômes, traitement, prévention. Disease fact sheet, updated in January 2026. Read the fact sheet on pasteur.fr

Studies cited by the summary sheet and used on this page, with their original number:

  1. Sabat R, Jemec GBE, Matusiak Ł, Kimball AB, Prens E, Wolk K. Hidradenitis suppurativa. Nat Rev Dis Primer. 2020 Mar 12;6(1):18. Search on PubMed
  2. Loget J, Saint-Martin C, Guillem P, Kanagaratnam L, Becherel PA, Nassif A, et al. [Misdiagnosis of hidradenitis suppurativa continues to be a major issue. The R-ENS Verneuil study]. Ann Dermatol Venereol. 2018 May;145(5):331–8. Search on PubMed
  3. Ingram JR, Collier F, Brown D, Burton T, Burton J, Chin MF, et al. British Association of Dermatologists guidelines for the management of hidradenitis suppurativa (acne inversa) 2018. Br J Dermatol. 2019;180(5):1009–17. Search on PubMed
  4. Jemec GBE. Clinical practice. Hidradenitis suppurativa. N Engl J Med. 2012 Jan 12;366(2):158–64. Search on PubMed
  5. Choi E, Ooi XT, Chandran NS. Hidradenitis suppurativa in pediatric patients. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2022 Jan;86(1):140–7. Search on PubMed
  6. Zouboulis CC, Desai N, Emtestam L, Hunger RE, Ioannides D, Juhász I, et al. European S1 guideline for the treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa/acne inversa. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol JEADV. 2015 Apr;29(4):619–44. Search on PubMed
  7. Frew JW. Hidradenitis suppurativa is an autoinflammatory keratinization disease: A review of the clinical, histologic, and molecular evidence. JAAD Int. 2020 Jul;1(1):62–72. Search on PubMed
  8. Prens E, Deckers I. Pathophysiology of hidradenitis suppurativa: An update. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2015 Nov;73(5 Suppl 1):S8-11. Search on PubMed
  9. Melnik BC, Plewig G. Impaired Notch-MKP-1 signalling in hidradenitis suppurativa: an approach to pathogenesis by evidence from translational biology. Exp Dermatol. 2013 Mar;22(3):172–7. Search on PubMed
  10. Bettoli V, Naldi L, Cazzaniga S, Zauli S, Atzori L, Borghi A, et al. Overweight, diabetes and disease duration influence clinical severity in hidradenitis suppurativa-acne inversa: evidence from the national Italian registry. Br J Dermatol. 2016 Jan;174(1):195–7. Search on PubMed
  11. Revuz JE, Canoui-Poitrine F, Wolkenstein P, Viallette C, Gabison G, Pouget F, et al. Prevalence and factors associated with hidradenitis suppurativa: results from two case-control studies. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2008 Oct;59(4):596–601. Search on PubMed
  12. Schneeweiss MC, Kim SC, Schneeweiss S, Rosmarin D, Merola JF. Risk of Inflammatory Arthritis After a New Diagnosis of Hidradenitis Suppurativa. JAMA Dermatol. 2020 Mar 1;156(3):342–5. Search on PubMed
  13. Schneider-Burrus S, Witte-Haendel E, Christou D, Rigoni B, Sabat R, Diederichs G. High Prevalence of Back Pain and Axial Spondyloarthropathy in Patients with Hidradenitis Suppurativa. Dermatol Basel Switz. 2016;232(5):606–12. Search on PubMed
  14. Egeberg A, Jemec GBE, Kimball AB, Bachelez H, Gislason GH, Thyssen JP, et al. Prevalence and Risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Patients with Hidradenitis Suppurativa. J Invest Dermatol. 2017 May;137(5):1060–4. Search on PubMed
  15. Garg A, Neuren E, Strunk A. Hidradenitis Suppurativa Is Associated with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Population-Based Analysis in the United States. J Invest Dermatol. 2018 Jun;138(6):1288–92. Search on PubMed
  16. Jalenques I, Ciortianu L, Pereira B, D’Incan M, Lauron S, Rondepierre F. The prevalence and odds of anxiety and depression in children and adults with hidradenitis suppurativa: Systematic review and meta-analysis. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2020 Aug;83(2):542–53. Search on PubMed

All the site’s sources and how to cite the site: Sources and method.