Topic 1: The Examination Is a Snapshot

HS fluctuates. Lesions may drain, partially resolve, or become less inflamed before an appointment. A low lesion count today therefore does not establish a low disease burden.

Current guidance and consensus recommendations support combining clinician-reported findings with patient-reported symptoms and quality-of-life effects. The two perspectives answer different questions: the examination describes what is present now, while the history describes what has been happening over time.¹