Inflammatory Bowel Disease Prevalence in Patients with Hidradenitis Suppurativa Using Prospective Symptom-Based Questionnaires and Fecal Calprotectin Testing

Abstract Introduction Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Using healthcare databases, an estimated 2.1% of patients with HS have IBD. Prospective screening of patients with HS with IBD sign/symptom-based questions and fecal calprotectin (FC) has not bee...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Niamh Kearney, Emily K. Pender, Rosalind Hughes, Collette McCourt, Graham Turner, Graham Morrison, Glen Doherty, Juliette Sheridan, Donal O’Kane, Brian Kirby
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Adis, Springer Healthcare 2025-05-01
Series:Dermatology and Therapy
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1007/s13555-025-01438-7
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849687959679270912
author Niamh Kearney
Emily K. Pender
Rosalind Hughes
Collette McCourt
Graham Turner
Graham Morrison
Glen Doherty
Juliette Sheridan
Donal O’Kane
Brian Kirby
author_facet Niamh Kearney
Emily K. Pender
Rosalind Hughes
Collette McCourt
Graham Turner
Graham Morrison
Glen Doherty
Juliette Sheridan
Donal O’Kane
Brian Kirby
author_sort Niamh Kearney
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Introduction Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Using healthcare databases, an estimated 2.1% of patients with HS have IBD. Prospective screening of patients with HS with IBD sign/symptom-based questions and fecal calprotectin (FC) has not been studied. Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence of IBD in HS and the utility of a sign/symptom-based questionnaire and FC testing. Methods All patients with HS attending two clinics were invited to participate. Information was collected on demographics, HS severity, and IBD risk factors. Fecal samples were returned by patients for calprotectin testing (≤ 50 μg/g = negative, 50–150 μg/g = borderline, ≥ 150 μg/g = positive). Results We recruited 150 patients including 124 women (82.7%) with a median age of 36 years and Hurley stage 2/3 disease (88.6%); 11 patients had established IBD (7.3%). Up to 44.7% of patients reported gastrointestinal symptoms. In 98 patients who returned a fecal sample for calprotectin measurement, 10 had previously diagnosed IBD (10.3%), 81 had a negative FC (82.7%), 13 had a borderline FC (13.3%) and 4 had a positive FC (4.1%). Among 4 patients with a positive result, 2 had known IBD (50%); 2 without established IBD were referred to gastroenterology and 1 had a negative endoscopy reporting an acute diarrheal illness at the time of their FC. The second patient was diagnosed with endoscopic and histologic Crohn’s disease. Conclusions We report an IBD prevalence of 8%, higher than previous studies. Routine IBD sign/symptom-based assessment is currently recommended. In our study, this would result in a referral rate of 44.7%. Among 88 FC tests in patients without established IBD, 1 patient was diagnosed with incident occult Crohn’s disease. At a number needed to screen (NNS) of 88, routine evaluation of all patients with HS with FC may be justified especially prior to the use of interleukin (IL)-17 antagonists.
format Article
id doaj-art-70f6c424fc264c27ae51dd3db596f64c
institution DOAJ
issn 2193-8210
2190-9172
language English
publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher Adis, Springer Healthcare
record_format Article
series Dermatology and Therapy
spelling doaj-art-70f6c424fc264c27ae51dd3db596f64c2025-08-20T03:22:11ZengAdis, Springer HealthcareDermatology and Therapy2193-82102190-91722025-05-011571901191310.1007/s13555-025-01438-7Inflammatory Bowel Disease Prevalence in Patients with Hidradenitis Suppurativa Using Prospective Symptom-Based Questionnaires and Fecal Calprotectin TestingNiamh Kearney0Emily K. Pender1Rosalind Hughes2Collette McCourt3Graham Turner4Graham Morrison5Glen Doherty6Juliette Sheridan7Donal O’Kane8Brian Kirby9Department of Dermatology, St. Vincent’s University HospitalDepartment of Dermatology, St. Vincent’s University HospitalDepartment of Dermatology, St. Vincent’s University HospitalDepartment of Dermatology, Belfast Health and Social Care TrustDepartment of Gastroenterology, Belfast Health and Social Care TrustDepartment of Gastroenterology, Belfast Health and Social Care TrustDepartment of Gastroenterology, St. Vincent’s University HospitalDepartment of Gastroenterology, St. Vincent’s University HospitalDepartment of Dermatology, Belfast Health and Social Care TrustDepartment of Dermatology, St. Vincent’s University HospitalAbstract Introduction Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Using healthcare databases, an estimated 2.1% of patients with HS have IBD. Prospective screening of patients with HS with IBD sign/symptom-based questions and fecal calprotectin (FC) has not been studied. Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence of IBD in HS and the utility of a sign/symptom-based questionnaire and FC testing. Methods All patients with HS attending two clinics were invited to participate. Information was collected on demographics, HS severity, and IBD risk factors. Fecal samples were returned by patients for calprotectin testing (≤ 50 μg/g = negative, 50–150 μg/g = borderline, ≥ 150 μg/g = positive). Results We recruited 150 patients including 124 women (82.7%) with a median age of 36 years and Hurley stage 2/3 disease (88.6%); 11 patients had established IBD (7.3%). Up to 44.7% of patients reported gastrointestinal symptoms. In 98 patients who returned a fecal sample for calprotectin measurement, 10 had previously diagnosed IBD (10.3%), 81 had a negative FC (82.7%), 13 had a borderline FC (13.3%) and 4 had a positive FC (4.1%). Among 4 patients with a positive result, 2 had known IBD (50%); 2 without established IBD were referred to gastroenterology and 1 had a negative endoscopy reporting an acute diarrheal illness at the time of their FC. The second patient was diagnosed with endoscopic and histologic Crohn’s disease. Conclusions We report an IBD prevalence of 8%, higher than previous studies. Routine IBD sign/symptom-based assessment is currently recommended. In our study, this would result in a referral rate of 44.7%. Among 88 FC tests in patients without established IBD, 1 patient was diagnosed with incident occult Crohn’s disease. At a number needed to screen (NNS) of 88, routine evaluation of all patients with HS with FC may be justified especially prior to the use of interleukin (IL)-17 antagonists.https://doi.org/10.1007/s13555-025-01438-7Hidradenitis suppurativaInflammatory bowel diseaseFecal calprotectinScreening
spellingShingle Niamh Kearney
Emily K. Pender
Rosalind Hughes
Collette McCourt
Graham Turner
Graham Morrison
Glen Doherty
Juliette Sheridan
Donal O’Kane
Brian Kirby
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Prevalence in Patients with Hidradenitis Suppurativa Using Prospective Symptom-Based Questionnaires and Fecal Calprotectin Testing
Dermatology and Therapy
Hidradenitis suppurativa
Inflammatory bowel disease
Fecal calprotectin
Screening
title Inflammatory Bowel Disease Prevalence in Patients with Hidradenitis Suppurativa Using Prospective Symptom-Based Questionnaires and Fecal Calprotectin Testing
title_full Inflammatory Bowel Disease Prevalence in Patients with Hidradenitis Suppurativa Using Prospective Symptom-Based Questionnaires and Fecal Calprotectin Testing
title_fullStr Inflammatory Bowel Disease Prevalence in Patients with Hidradenitis Suppurativa Using Prospective Symptom-Based Questionnaires and Fecal Calprotectin Testing
title_full_unstemmed Inflammatory Bowel Disease Prevalence in Patients with Hidradenitis Suppurativa Using Prospective Symptom-Based Questionnaires and Fecal Calprotectin Testing
title_short Inflammatory Bowel Disease Prevalence in Patients with Hidradenitis Suppurativa Using Prospective Symptom-Based Questionnaires and Fecal Calprotectin Testing
title_sort inflammatory bowel disease prevalence in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa using prospective symptom based questionnaires and fecal calprotectin testing
topic Hidradenitis suppurativa
Inflammatory bowel disease
Fecal calprotectin
Screening
url https://doi.org/10.1007/s13555-025-01438-7
work_keys_str_mv AT niamhkearney inflammatoryboweldiseaseprevalenceinpatientswithhidradenitissuppurativausingprospectivesymptombasedquestionnairesandfecalcalprotectintesting
AT emilykpender inflammatoryboweldiseaseprevalenceinpatientswithhidradenitissuppurativausingprospectivesymptombasedquestionnairesandfecalcalprotectintesting
AT rosalindhughes inflammatoryboweldiseaseprevalenceinpatientswithhidradenitissuppurativausingprospectivesymptombasedquestionnairesandfecalcalprotectintesting
AT collettemccourt inflammatoryboweldiseaseprevalenceinpatientswithhidradenitissuppurativausingprospectivesymptombasedquestionnairesandfecalcalprotectintesting
AT grahamturner inflammatoryboweldiseaseprevalenceinpatientswithhidradenitissuppurativausingprospectivesymptombasedquestionnairesandfecalcalprotectintesting
AT grahammorrison inflammatoryboweldiseaseprevalenceinpatientswithhidradenitissuppurativausingprospectivesymptombasedquestionnairesandfecalcalprotectintesting
AT glendoherty inflammatoryboweldiseaseprevalenceinpatientswithhidradenitissuppurativausingprospectivesymptombasedquestionnairesandfecalcalprotectintesting
AT juliettesheridan inflammatoryboweldiseaseprevalenceinpatientswithhidradenitissuppurativausingprospectivesymptombasedquestionnairesandfecalcalprotectintesting
AT donalokane inflammatoryboweldiseaseprevalenceinpatientswithhidradenitissuppurativausingprospectivesymptombasedquestionnairesandfecalcalprotectintesting
AT briankirby inflammatoryboweldiseaseprevalenceinpatientswithhidradenitissuppurativausingprospectivesymptombasedquestionnairesandfecalcalprotectintesting