Norethindrone-Mestranol in Hidradenitis Suppurativa

TO THE EDITOR:— I would like to report an interesting case of hidradenitis suppurativa that responded to cyclic administration of a combination of norethindrone and mestranol. A 27-year-old white woman was seen at the Cleveland Clinic in June 1963 complaining of severe recurrent axillary hidradenitis suppurativa. The patient had had this disease, which recurred only between pregnancies for four years. She stated that at the onset of each of her four pregnancies (gravida-4, para-4, abort-0) she noticed the beginning of resolution of all lesions until the mid trimester of her pregnancy when the activity of the lesions appeared to be arrested. In the past she had been given sodium oxacillin, procaine penicillin injections, various tetracycline products by mouth, low doses of x-ray therapy, and injection of staphylococcus toxin. At no time during the course of her recurrences did there seem to be any relief from the condition. Routine urine analysis,