ORIGINALS
IMAJ | volume 26
Journal 5, May 2024
pages: 283-288
A Comparison of Hidradenitis Suppurativa Characteristics Among Israeli Arabs and Jews: Analysis of Two Cohorts
- Jen Barak Levitt,
- Shira Barmatz ,
- Shira Fisch-Gilad,
- Yossef Taieb ,
- Adam Dalal,
- Khashayar Afshari ,
- Nazgol Haddadi ,
- Dana Tzur Bitan,
- Arnon Dov Cohen,
- Daniel Mimouni ,
- Emmilia Hodak ,
- Shany Sherman
1 Department of Dermatology, Emek Medical Center, Afula, Israel
2 Department of Dermatology, Rabin Medical Center (Beilinson Campus), Petah Tikva, Israel
3 Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
4 Department of Dermatology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
5 Department of Behavioral Sciences, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
6 Shalvata Mental Health Center, Hod Hasharon, Israel
7 Department of Research and Information, Chief Physician Office, Clalit Health Services, Tel Aviv, Israel
8 Siaal Research Center for Family Medicine and Primary Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
9 Department of Dermatology, UMASS Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
Summary
Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease involving apocrine gland-bearing regions. There is an under-representation of non-Caucasians in epidemiologic studies of HS. The characteristics of HS in Israeli Arabs have not yet been studied.
Objectives: To investigate the demographic and clinical profile of HS in the Israeli Arab population.
Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted in two cohorts of patients with HS in Israel. The patients were derived from the database of a large health management organization (n=4191, 639 Arabs; population-based) and a major tertiary medical center (n=372, 49 Arabs). Demographic and clinical data were compared between ethnic groups.
Results: The prevalence of HS in Israeli Arabs was found to be 0.5%, fivefold higher than in Jews. Arab patients were younger (35.3 vs. 40.5 years, P < 0.001) and mostly male (52% vs. 35.7%, p < 0.001), with lower rates of co-morbidities, including smoking (40.8% vs. 55.7%, p < 0.001), hyperlipidemia, and depression as well as a higher rate of dissecting cellulitis (10.2% vs. 1.9%, p = 0.008). HS was more severe in Arabs, but of shorter duration, with mainly axillary involvement (79.6% vs. 57.9%, p = 0.004). Treatment with hormones was more common in Jews, and with biologic agents in Arabs.
Conclusions: The findings suggest a different phenotype of HS in Arabs, warranting further study.