Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder. However, the current knowledge on public interest and the trends in HS onset is limited. We sought to evaluate the patterns of seasonality and regionality related to HS by analyzing Google Trends. We performed search queries on www.google.com/trends using the term “hidradenitis suppurativa” for relative search volume index (RSV) from January 2011 to March 2021. The RSV values in the USA were also compared with the monthly temperature averages from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Google Trends analysis displayed that there was an overall increasing trend in search volume by approximately 50% in the USA and worldwide over the past five years. There was a noticeable pattern in search volume with peaks in the summer months and troughs in December or January. The highest RSV values were represented by Puerto Rico, USA, France, and Netherlands. Spearman correlations revealed that the average temperatures and the RSV values for HS are significantly correlated in the United States (0.245; P<0.001). The geographic and temporal findings are consistent with the association between warmer climates and HS presentation based on the assumption that HS onset and progression are positively related to the volume of search queries and online interest. Health care providers and organizations can utilize online tools to better understand public interest and disease patterns in order to create targeted interventions for patients with HS.

ESDR075 - A Study on Seasonality and Regionality of Hidradenitis Suppurativa Using Real-Time Data from 2011 to 2021

50th Annual Meeting of the European Society for Dermatological Research. VIRTUAL MEETING