Discussion | The results of this study reveal important differences in the microbiota of HS lesions in obese vs nonobese patients. Gut flora alterations are seen in obese patients, 4,5 and HS has been associated with obesity. It is possible that altered gut or skin flora could have a pathogenic role in HS. Some of the limitations of the present study include the use of retrospective data and the lack of a control group consisting of patients with no history of HS. Although these cultures were obtained from purulence extruding from HS lesions, the bacterial culture results could represent skin or gut flora contamination. Information about the specific anatomic locations of HS cultures was not available. Because only the first recorded culture of each patient was analyzed, it is unknown if the culture results would change with time and further antibiotic therapy. The use of data obtained from swabbased cultures may also represent a potential limitation because DNA-based approaches to microbial analysis may yield more information and lead to identification of organisms that are not cultivable. The use of more advanced microbiome techniques may be an important consideration for future studies. These data indicate that further research is needed to elucidate the role of specific bacterial species in the pathogenesis of HS and may suggest a role for targeted treatment of specific bacterial species in this disorder.

No abstract

The anatomy of the lateral cervical region is described and revisited. The three topographical regions where the neurovascular bundle can be easily compressed by surrounding structures are highlighted. Furthermore, the paper focuses on the anatomical variations which are able to produce a thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS).

No abstract