hidradenitis suppurativa /hī′dradənī′tis sup′yo̅o̅rətē′və/ [Gk, hydos, water + aden, gland + itis, inflammation; L, suppurare, to form pus] , a chronic disease of the apocrine gland–bearing areas, chiefly the axillae (especially in young women) and anogenital region (especially in men), caused by occlusion of the pores with secondary bacterial infection of apocrine sweat glands. It is characterized by the development of one or more tender red abscesses that enlarge and eventually break through the skin, yielding purulent or seropurulent drainage. Healing occurs with fibrosis, and recurrences lead to sinus tract formation and progressive scarring.
