The use of Silastic foam dressing in the treatment of advanced hidradenitis suppurativa

We describe our experience in the use of a Silastic foam dressing in 17 patients undergoing radical excision of hidradenitis suppurativa whose wounds were allowed to heal by granulation. Axillary excisions were carried out in 9 patients and perineal excisions in 8 patients. The technique permits adequate excision of the disease and results in a cosmetically acceptable scar, superior to that obtained by skin grafting and with little limitation of movement. It avoids the pain of conventional management of granulating wounds by gauze packing. It is considered that this method of management is superior in most respects to other techniques used to manage the defect resulting from adequate excision of hidradenitis.