Tests
Tests to consider
bacterial culture
Test
This is more useful to exclude furunculosis than to make a diagnosis of HS.
Result
variable; may show methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus or polymicrobial flora
skin biopsy
Test
Used to exclude squamous cell carcinoma and to differentiate from other inflammatory diseases, including Crohn disease.
Result
variable; comedones appear as small, superficial cystic epithelial invaginations filled with keratotic debris; abscesses demonstrate intense acute inflammation in the dermis and sometimes the subcutaneous fat; sinus tracts appear as deep, tunneling epithelial tracts that are often associated with a more chronic inflammatory infiltrate; special stains for bacterial and fungal organisms are usually negative (may see some colonizing bacteria)
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