The painful and often scarring disease hidradenitis suppurtiva is presented comprehensively in this issue of Dermatologic Clinics led by expert Gregor Borut Ernst Jemec. Topics include: Diagnosing hidradentis suppurativa; Prevalence, risk factors and co-morbidities of hidradentis suppurativa; Genetics of hidradentis suppurativa; Histopathology and imaging; Inflammatory mechanisms in hidradentis suppurativa; Microbiology of hidradentis suppurativa; Endocrinological aspects of hidradentis suppurativa; Role of mechanical stress in hidradenitis suppurativa; Randomized controlled trials of hidradentis suppurativa treatment; Antibiotic treatment of hidradentis suppurativa; Other medical treatments of hidradentis suppurativa; Surgical interventions in hidradentis suppurativa; Lasers and IPL in hidradenitis suppurativa; The Handicap of hidradentis suppurativa.