Most people with HS will not have any complications.

If you have severe HS you are more likely to have complications than if you have mild or moderate HS.

If you are unlucky enough to have complications, they are likely to be either:

Local complications in the areas affected because the skin and the underlying tissue in the affected areas have been damaged
or
Generalised effects due to chronic inflammation.

Local complications in the affected areas can be:

• Spread of infection to surrounding skin (cellulitis) or to the blood (septicaemia).
• Ulceration of skin.
• Strictures (narrowing of the opening of the urinary tract or bowel).
• Fistulae (tunnels) from the skin to nearby internal organs such as the bowel.
• Swelling (lymphoedema) of the genitals due to damaged circulation.
• Squamous cell carcinoma (a form of cancer) due to years of inflammation, mainly in genital disease. This is uncommon.

Generalised effects due to chronic inflammation can be:

• Abnormalities of the blood such as low red cells (anaemia) or increased protein.
• Amyloidosis (deposition of inflammatory by-products throughout the body)
• Kidney disease
• Interstitial keratitis (deposits in the eye)
• Arthropathy (joint pain)

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