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Tests and diagnosis

By Mayo Clinic staff

To make a diagnosis, your doctor may ask about your symptoms and medical history, examine your skin, and order blood tests. If pus or drainage is present, your doctor may send a sample of the fluid to a laboratory for testing. This test is known as a culture. Such tests may be necessary to rule out other skin conditions, such as tuberculosis of the skin.

References
  1. Hidradenitis suppurativa. American Osteopathic College of Dermatology. http://www.aocd.org/skin/dermatologic_diseases/hidradenitis_suppu.html. Accessed June 22, 2010.
  2. Alikhan A, et al. Hidradenitis suppurativa: A comprehensive review. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2009;60:539.
  3. Smith HS, et al. Painful hidradenitis suppurativa. Clinical Journal of Pain. 2010;26:435.
  4. Beshara MA. Hidradenitis suppurativa: A clinician's tool for early diagnosis and treatment. Advances in Skin and Wound Care. 2010;23:328.
  5. The morbidity of hidradenitis suppurativa. The Hidradenitis Suppurativa Foundation. http://www.hs-foundation.org/abouths/morbidity.htm. Accessed June 22, 2010.
  6. Stewart EG, et al. Treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 28, 2010.
DS00818 Sept. 21, 2010

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