Smoke Exposure Associated With Higher Odds of Pediatric Hidradenitis Suppurativa
Key Takeaways
- Pediatric and adolescent patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) had significantly higher rates of active or passive smoke exposure than matched healthy controls, according to recent research.
- Any active and/or passive smoke exposure was associated with 4.8-fold higher odds of an HS diagnosis.
- Passive exposure alone was associated with 1.64-fold higher odds.
- Passive smoke accounted for nearly two-thirds of reported smoke exposure among patients with HS.
Active and passive smoke exposure were associated with higher odds of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) among pediatric and adolescent patients in a retrospective case-control study published in Pediatric Dermatology.
Researchers evaluated the relationship between smoke exposure and pediatric HS, an inflammatory disease involving the folliculopilosebaceous unit that commonly affects intertriginous areas. The Mayo Clinic study included patients diagnosed with HS before age 18 years between 2010 and 2023. Investigators identified 174 patients with HS and matched them by age, sex, and race with 522 healthy controls in a 1:3 ratio.
Passive Smoke Exposure Common Among Pediatric Patients With HS
Active and passive smoke exposure was significantly more prevalent among patients with HS than controls (P = .001). Among the 48 patients with HS who had documented smoke exposure, passive exposure accounted for 64.6% (31/48).
Combined active and/or passive smoke exposure was associated with 4.8-fold higher odds of an HS diagnosis (odds ratio [OR], 4.8; 95% CI, 3.06 to 7.61). Passive smoke exposure alone was associated with higher odds of HS (OR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.01 to 2.61). Smoke exposure was also associated with a later age at diagnosis compared with no smoke exposure (P < 0.001).
The retrospective, single-center design limited interpretation, the authors noted.
“Prevalence of active and passive smoke exposure was higher in pediatric and adolescent patients with HS compared to age, sex, and race-matched healthy controls,” the authors concluded. “Smoke exposure increased the odds of having HS and was associated with a later age at diagnosis.”
Source
Ziebart RL, et al. Pediatric Dermatology. 2026. Doi:10.1111/pde.70101.