# Polyclonal Hypergammaglobulinemia in Severe Hidradenitis Suppurativa

**Authors:** Cristina P Gerena-Maldonado, Mariana Sadurní-García, Gerardo S Caussade-Silvestrini, Coral Martes-Villalobos, Alma Cruz

PMC · DOI: 10.7759/cureus.100711 · Cureus · 2026-01-03

## TL;DR

A man with severe hidradenitis suppurativa showed high gamma globulin levels, which improved with infliximab treatment.

## Contribution

This case highlights a rare association between severe hidradenitis suppurativa and polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia, and its response to infliximab.

## Key findings

- The patient had Hurley stage III hidradenitis suppurativa with polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia.
- Infliximab treatment led to improvement in symptoms and gamma globulin levels.
- The case adds to the limited literature on the connection between hidradenitis suppurativa and hypergammaglobulinemia.

## Abstract

This is the case of a 36-year-old man with a 15-year history of Hurley stage III hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) who presented with painful nodules, chronic drainage, and extensive sinus tracts involving the axillae, groin, and gluteal cleft. The patient had previously failed multiple systemic and procedural therapies, including oral antibiotics, intralesional corticosteroids, adalimumab, and methotrexate. Physical examination demonstrated hypertrophic scarring, purulent discharge, and diffuse inflammatory activity. Laboratory evaluation revealed marked polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia (pHGG), a finding whose association with HS is increasingly reported but remains incompletely understood. Therefore, we present an interesting case of severe, refractory HS with pHGG that improved after infliximab treatment, along with a brief discussion of relevant literature.

## Linked entities

- **Diseases:** hidradenitis suppurativa (MONDO:0006559), polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia (MONDO:0002272)

## Full-text entities

- **Diseases:** HS (MESH:D017497), hypertrophic (MESH:D002312), inflammatory (MESH:D007249), Polyclonal Hypergammaglobulinemia (MESH:D006942)
- **Chemicals:** infliximab (MESH:D000069285), methotrexate (MESH:D008727), adalimumab (MESH:D000068879)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]

## Full text

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## Figures

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## References

15 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12865485/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12865485