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Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, debilitating, inflammatory disease. Contemporaneous real-world data can be used to elucidate the clinical treatment of pediatric patients and how treatment strategies compare with adult hidradenitis suppurativa patients. Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate clinical and treatment characteristics of pediatric and adult HS patients. Methods: HS adult and pediatric patients were identified in 3 the United States administrative claims databases during the study period between 2016 to 2021. Patients were required to have 2 diagnostic codes for HS and have at least 365 days of prior observation time to the first HS diagnosis. Results: Pediatric and adult HS treatments were similar. The proportions of subjects treated with topical and oral antibiotic or oral antibiotic alone or topical medication alone or surgery alone covered 90% of the treated pediatric subjects and 91% of treated adult subjects. The remaining proportion of subjects received other treatment combinations. Limitations: The databases represent subjects with commercial or government insurance coverage and thus do not necessarily represent the broader US population. The databases do not capture information about medications obtained without insurance. Conclusions: Although subtle differences exist, this study confirms that topical and systemic therapeutic treatment of HS in adults and adolescents is very similar.

Actinic keratosis (AK) is a common precancerous skin lesion and many AK management guidelines exist, but there has been limited investigation into the quality of these documents. The objective of this study was to assess the strengths and weaknesses of guidelines that address AK management. A systematic search for guidelines with recommendations for AK was performed. The Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE II) was used to appraise the quality of guidelines. Multiple raters independently reviewed each of the guidelines and applied the AGREE II tool and scores were calculated. Overall, 2,307 citations were identified and 7 fulfilled the study criteria. The Cancer Council of Australia/Australian Cancer Network guideline had the highest mean scores and was the only guideline to include a systematic review, include an evidence rating for recommendations, and report conflicts of interest and funding sources. High-quality, effective guidelines are evidence-based with recommendations that are concise and organized, so practical application is facilitated. Features such as concise tables, pictorial diagrams, and explicit links to evidence are helpful. However, the rigor and validity of some guidelines were weak. So, it is important for providers to be aware of the features that contribute to a high-quality, practical document.