Key clinical point: The use of preoperative ultrasound planning in the surgical management of patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) improves surgical margin delimitation and may lower recurrence rates at 24 weeks.

Major finding: The mean projected skin excised area increased after ultrasonography vs. clinical examination (26.29 vs. 22.62 cm²; mean difference, 3.67 cm²; P = .004). At week 24, the recurrence rate was higher in the surgical clinical delimitation vs. preoperative ultrasonography cohort (30% vs. 10%; P = .1). The risk factors for inaccurate clinical surgical delimitation included obesity, male sex, Hurley II stage, and elevated International Hidradenitis Suppurativa Severity Score System 4 scores.

Study details: The data come from a study of 2 cohorts of patients with HS who underwent surgical treatment (ultrasound surgical delimitation cohort, n = 20; and clinical surgical delimitation cohort, n = 20).

Disclosures: No study sponsor was identified. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.