A marker of systemic inflammation in hidradenitis suppurativa patients without cardiovascular disease: aortic arch calcification

Background

In this study, we aimed to investigate whether there is a relationship between aortic arch calcification (AAC) and hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) in HS patients without cardiovascular disease.

Methods

In this study, patients over 18 years of age who applied to the dermatology outpatient clinic between January 2023 and February 2024 were followed up with the diagnosis of HS without cardiovascular disease, and a healthy control group matched in terms of age and gender were included retrospectively.

Results

In total, 130 patients with HS without cardiovascular disease and 130 control patients were included in the study. AAC was significantly higher in the HS group compared to the control group (p = 0.028). In the multivariate analysis, we found that age and HS were independent predictors of AAC (OR: 1.048 (1.009–1.089); p = 0.015, OR: 3.158 (1.181–8.445); p = 0.022, respectively). When we divided the groups as having AAC (grade 1–3) and not having AAC (grade 0), the rate of HS disease was significantly higher in the group with AAC compared to the group without AAC (75.0% vs. 47.5% p = 0.010).

Conclusions

AAC is observed more frequently in patients with HS without cardiovascular disease than in healthy individuals. Moreover, HS can be considered as an independent predictor of AAC. AAC may contribute to developing treatment strategies in HS patients without cardiovascular disease.