Introduction: Verneuil's disease (hidradenitis suppurativa) is a chronic inflammatory, suppurating and fistulizing disease of apocrine sweat gland-bearing skin. The aim of this study was to describe the surgical treatment, conducted in 15 patients suffering from this disease.
Patients and methods: We retrospectively analyzed 15 observations (9 men, 6 women, mean age 38.6). The mean delay between beginning of the symptoms and diagnosis was 55.5 months. Surgery was conducted at the stage of abscesses, fistulization and keloids in all patients. The first surgical step was wide and deep excision of affected skin and subcutaneous fat. The second step was secondary intention healing, or ideal suture, Z plasty or dorsalis major flap.
Results: Only four patients had complications: two axillary strictures, one anal margin stenosis and one hypertrophic scarring. Three relapses occurred, treated by excision under local anesthesia.
Conclusion: Surgical treatment seems to be the only definitive treatment of Verneuil's disease.