Hospital Prevalence, Delay in Diagnosis, and Sociodemographic Features of Hidradenitis Suppurativa in Nigeria: A Multicentre Retrospective Study

Abstract Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is rare in Africans and so not commonly documented in this population. Aim: We aimed to document the hospital prevalence, sociodemographic factors, delay in diagnosis, and factors associated with a delay in diagnosis. Materials and Methods: This multicentre retrospective study of 64 HS patients was conducted across seven outpatient dermatology clinics in Nigeria. Data spanning 2017 and 2022 were retrieved following ethical approval. Extracted information included age at onset, age at diagnosis, delay in diagnosis, gender, family history of HS, body mass index, smoking history, socioeconomic status, and Hurley stage. Data were analysed using IBM Statistics version 26. For all statistical tests, P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Thirteen thousand six-hundred and two new patients composed of 5850 males and 7752 females attended the clinics and 64 of them had HS giving a hospital prevalence of 0.47% (64/13,602). Most of the HS (70.3%) were female. The median (interquartile range) age of the patients was 30 (24, 36) years and the age range was 12–59 years. Age at diagnosis was 20–39 years in 76.6%. There was a delay in diagnosis in 45.3%, a significant relationship between delay in diagnosis with duration and severity of HS with P < 0.001 and P < 0.005, respectively. Conclusion: HS is uncommon in Nigeria. Diagnosis is frequently delayed and patients present with a severe form of the disease. Furthermore, HS is rare among individuals with a low socioeconomic status. There is a need for more awareness and prompt referral of this debilitating disease at the primary health-care level.