Tuberculosis screening in hidradenitis suppurativa patients on tumor necrosis factor inhibitors: a retrospective chart review.

Abstract

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) patients treated with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors are at an increased risk for tuberculosis (TB) reactivation, necessitating baseline latent TB infection (LTBI) screening. However, evidence regarding the value of periodic LTBI screening in this population is limited. In this single-center retrospective chart review, we investigated the LTBI rate in HS patients treated with adalimumab or infliximab. The cohort included 92 patients with an average treatment duration of 37.4 months and a median Interferon-Gamma Release Assay (IGRA) number of 3. The cumulative observation time was 286 person-years. Our investigation found no positive LTBI results in HS patients on TNF inhibitors, challenging clinicians to reconsider the utility of serial screening for such patients who are otherwise at low risk for TB. Further research is essential for the development of evidence-based guidelines to optimize patient care and healthcare resource allocation.