I had a thick cyst on my neck that broke open like the sores and got bigger and bigger till it was the size of a lemon. I'm not completely sure if it was part of the HS or just a huge cyst but I did have that surgically removed from the dermatologist and he promised me that he was good at it and no one had gotten a cyst like that back again that he had removed and so far so good ... it hasn't returned. But I really think it wasn't in the HS family but just a sebaceous cyst. The only surgery that is out there to remove all the sores is to remove the sweat glands. But the dermatologist refused to do that because it opens you up to cancer. So I ruled out surgery for the HS. I have to say though that by the time I knew what it was that I had ... I was in stage 3 of the disease ... way past the time when much at all can help. I have tunnels under the skin and places where I've had sores on top of sores and my groin area and arm pits are a disaster area. I can't wear tops without sleeves ... but short sleeves do cover it. No tank tops or anything like that and I can't stand layering because it just makes me more hot.