Concomitant psoriasis and hidradenitis suppurativa responsive to adalimumab therapy: A case series

Abstract

Psoriasis and hidradenitis suppurativa are inflammatory dermatoses that have been associated with arthritis, metabolic syndrome, obesity, and smoking. They share common pathogenic mechanisms such as elevated levels of several proinflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin-17A, and impaired Notch pathway. Thus, treatments for both diseases are sometimes overlapping. Biological therapy such as adalimumab is effective for patients with hidradenitis suppurativa and psoriasis. Adalimumab is a monoclonal antibody that binds to TNF and inhibits the cytokine interaction with the TNF receptors, thus inhibiting the inflammatory cascade. Currently, data are lacking on the treatment for co-occurrence of psoriasis and hidradenitis suppurativa. This case series describes three patients with a diagnosis of concomitant psoriasis and hidradenitis suppurativa. In these cases, after 12 weeks of treatment with adalimumab 40 mg every other week, the average Psoriasis Area Severity Index score reduced from 21.4 to 2.9 for psoriasis, Hidradenitis Suppurativa-Physician’s Global Assessment from 3.3 to 0.7, and pain Visual Analog Scale for hidradenitis suppurativa from 4.6 to 2. The results suggest that adalimumab is a treatment of choice for patients with concomitant hidradenitis suppurativa and psoriasis.