WEDNESDAY, June 14, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Pediatric patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) have a higher prevalence of Crohn's disease, according to a research letter published online June 14 in JAMA Dermatology.

Nicole Mastacouris, from the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell in New Hyde Park, New York, and colleagues compared the prevalence of Crohn disease among pediatric patients with and without HS. The analysis included 2,883 patients with HS (aged 12 to 17 years) and 222,186 control patients.

The researchers found that Crohn's disease was prevalent in 0.69 percent of patients with HS and 0.17 percent of control patients (unadjusted prevalence ratio, 4.11). Crohn disease prevalence remained higher in patients with HS in the adjusted analysis (adjusted prevalence ratio, 4.90) versus control patients. Similar results were seen among patients aged 15 to 17 years with HS (adjusted prevalence ratio, 4.84) versus those without.

"Findings of this study suggest an association between Crohn's disease and HS in pediatric patients," the authors write. "However, the low-absolute prevalence of Crohn's disease in this group is reassuring and should be taken into context when counseling patients."

One author disclosed financial ties to pharmaceutical companies, including AbbVie, which supported the study.