Dermatology: 3rd Annual Symposium of Hidradenitis Suppurativa Advances (SHSA)

On October 12-14, 2018, the 3rd Annual Symposium of Hidradenitis Suppurativa Advances (SHSA) was held at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto, Ontario. The SHSA annual conference is the only dedicated meeting on Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) in North America and is hosted by the US and Canadian HS Foundations collaboratively. The conference alternates between Women’s College Hospital in Toronto, Canada, and Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, USA.
 
This year, the event brought together 205 physicians, healthcare professionals, trainees, HS community advocates, and patients from countries around the world. The conference began with opening remarks from SHSA 2018 Scientific Co-Chairs Dr. Afsaneh Alavi (Women’s College Hospital) and Dr. Michelle Lowes (Rockefeller University) as well as CHSF President Dr. Raed Alhusyen (University of Toronto) and HSF President Dr. Iltefat Hamzavi (Henry Ford Hospital).  Invited speakers included Dr. Gregor Jemec (University of Copenhagen Roskilde Hospital), Dr. Antonio Martorell (Hospital de Manises), Dr. Alexis Kimball (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center), Dr. John Ingram (Cardiff University), and Dr. Erin Martinez (University of Michigan).
 
Over ten interactive sessions, participants reviewed HS epidemiology and burden of disease, pathophysiology and clinical presentation, treatment options and management guidelines, and advancements in hidradenitis suppurativa research. There were interactive expert panel discussions on Starting a multi-specialty clinic for HS and Management of complex presentations of HS. Another session focused on HS management with presentations of the North American, British, and European guidelines by Dr. Chris Sayed (UNC), Dr. John Ingram and Dr. Gregor Jemec, respectively.
 
A highlight was a session discussing the extra-cutaneous manifestations of hidradenitis suppurativa by non-dermatologist specialists. Presentations related to HS in different fields included: gastroenterology by Dr. Adam Weizman (Women’s College Hospital), endocrinology by Dr. Afshan Zahedi (Women’s College Hospital), psychiatry by Dr. Roger McIntyre (University of Toronto), psychology by Erin Martinez, rheumatology by Dr. Christian Pagnoux (University of Toronto), OBGYN by Dr. Amanda Selk (University of Toronto), and hematology by Dr. Zachary Liederman (University of Toronto).
 
There were two workshops at the conference. Wound healing in HS was a practical session led by Dr. Hadar Lev-Tov (University of Miami), Angela Parks-Miller (Henry Ford Hospital) and Pat Coutis (Women’s College Hospital). The second workshop was on use of Ultrasound in HS, led by Dr. Antonio Martorell and Dr. Ximena Wortsman (University of Chile), with a live patient demonstration of a volunteer with HS.
 
The conference also provided a valuable networking opportunity for many participants. A mentoring breakfast gave medical students, dermatology residents and young investigators an opportunity to meet with experienced HS clinicians and researchers. The conference set the stage for further cooperation for future collaborative international research pursuits.
 
At the final session, Dr. Vincent Piguet (University of Toronto) presented an award to Dr. Gregor Jemec, for his ongoing dedication and caring for patients with HS, and a lifetime of research to help understand this complex disease.
 
There were several events specifically for patients and their families. A mindfulness workshop was offered on Saturday, and HS School was held on Sunday for 22 patients with topics including What is HS?, treatment options, a research update, sexual health, role of HS support groups, nutrition, and patient presentations.
 
The HSF and CHSF would like to acknowledge the support of Dr. Ricardo Cibotti and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) for the award of an R13 conference grant for this meeting. This year, 18 young investigators from around the world received competitive travel awards to attend this meeting. We were also able to support travel for three incredible patient advocates who work tirelessly on behalf of patients with HS.
 
Next year’s conference will be held in Detroit, MI, November 1-2, 2019. Please save the date!