Association of Treatment Burden With Quality of Life and Distress in Hidradenitis Suppurativa


Özkoca D., Ergün M. G., Ak D. Y., Eker H., Özcan İ., Buğday A. E., ...Daha Fazla

International Journal of Dermatology, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus) identifier identifier identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1111/ijd.70407
  • Dergi Adı: International Journal of Dermatology
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, EMBASE
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: hidradenitis suppurativa, patient-reported outcome measures, psychological distress, quality of life
  • İstanbul Üniversitesi-Cerrahpaşa Adresli: Evet

Özet

Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory disease associated with substantial impairment in quality of life and psychological well-being. The impact of cumulative treatment exposure and its relationship with multidimensional disease burden in HS has not been sufficiently discussed. The aim of this study is to investigate the associations between cumulative treatment burden, quality of life impairment, psychological symptom burden, disease activity, and patient-perceived severity in patients with HS. Methods: This multicenter cross-sectional study included previously treated adult HS patients. Participants completed validated Turkish versions of the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R), and the Hidradenitis Suppurativa Self-Assessment Tool (HSSA). A Treatment Burden Index (TBI) was developed to quantify cumulative therapeutic exposure based on guideline-weighted treatment modalities. Results: Ninety-three patients were included (mean age 34.5 ± 11.0 years; 57% male). Higher TBI was moderately correlated with greater QoL impairment (Spearman ρ = 0.401, p < 0.001) and flare frequency. TBI was weakly correlated with psychological symptom burden. DLQI scores were positively associated with flare frequency and SCL-90-R scores, whereas the SCL-90-R scores were not associated with flare frequency or patient-perceived disease severity. Conclusions: HS burden is multidimensional, with partially independent domains of disease activity, treatment burden, quality of life impairment, and psychological distress. Cumulative treatment exposure is closely linked to QoL impairment and disease activity but only weakly associated with psychological symptom burden. Identification of distinct burden phenotypes may facilitate more personalized and patient-centered management strategies in HS. (Figure presented.).