Italian Dermatologist, Dr Simone Garcovich, joins Kirk to discuss what he learned from his detailed, four year, 870 patient study of pediatric HS that is featured in the March-April 2022 issue of the Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery.

HS is uncommon in patients of pediatric age, and the differentiation with adult-onset disease is controversial. Treatment of pediatric hidradenitis suppurativa is scarcely standardized, and specific guidelines are lacking. As Kirk describes it, Dr. Garcovich's article "is a call to action for people to start thinking about this early."

Early diagnosis is key, as is diet, weight and many other factors they discuss, along with use of biologics and surgery, in this fascinating conversation.

Dr. Simone Garcovich is a dermatologist and faculty member at Catholic University of the Sacred Heart and Gemelli University Hospital in Rome, Italy.

His co-authors are Luca Fania, Dante Caposiena, Giulia Giovanardi, Andrea Chiricozzi, Clara De Simone, Chiara Tartaglia, Davide Ciccone, Luca Bianchi, Damiano Abeni and Ketty Peris.

The article is available free outside the paywall at the JCMS website for three weeks after this interview is posted:

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/12034754211039993

For more on the work of the Canadian Dermatology Association, please visit our website at dermatology.ca

JCMS Author Interviews is produced by the CDA and David McGuffin of Explore Podcast Productions in Ottawa.

Our theme music was composed by Lee Rosevere.