Singer and actor Lee Hong-gi shocked everyone by confessing that he has been suffering from the painful rare disease 'hidradenitis suppurativa.'
On the 15th, the SBS entertainment show 'My Little Old Boy' featured Lee Hong-gi visiting a hospital.
As the atmosphere in the hospital was unusual, the cast reacted worriedly, asking, 'Lee Hong-gi, what's wrong?' Lee Hong-gi greeted the attending physician as if they were familiar, and the doctor said, 'Has it come back again?' which raised questions. Lee Hong-gi explained, 'I felt something was off recently, so I came to get my armpits checked and to confirm things near my buttocks.'
It turned out that Lee Hong-gi has been suffering from the rare disease 'hidradenitis suppurativa' for nearly 20 years. This chronic inflammatory condition causes recurrent abscesses in sweat gland areas such as the armpits and buttocks, significantly affecting daily life. The attending specialist explained, 'When one or two areas in the sweat gland develop, that is stage 1. If the inflammation worsens, it progresses to stage 2, where it bursts or becomes very painful.' He continued, 'If it gets worse, inflammation can form a tunnel-like consolidation between the abscesses, making it difficult to lift the arms or spread the armpits.'
In fact, Lee Hong-gi confessed that he had an abscess the size of a palm on his buttocks that was filled with pus, and he underwent surgery to insert a tube. He revealed, 'The pain was so intense that I couldn't even get up, and it was difficult to lie down or sit.' Lee Hong-gi noted that the symptoms began during his middle school years, saying, 'During class, the abscess burst, wetting my school uniform's buttocks, and I had to leave early.' He added, 'At that time, I didn't even know it was a disease and left it untreated at home while squeezing out the pus.' His mother also misunderstood it as simple acne.
Lee Hong-gi's mother recalled, 'When I sweat a lot, abscesses develop from the bottom of my buttocks to my anus, and when they burst, it soaks my clothes,' adding, 'I had to carry several pairs of underwear with me,' which evoked sympathy.
Lee Hong-gi is currently visiting the hospital in preparation for potential recurrence ahead of a season filled with festivals and performances, saying, 'I have been managing well, but I am worried that the symptoms might return.' He revealed that he has had surgery a total of 8 times, including 3 times with his current doctor, emphasizing the importance of consistent management. Viewers expressed supportive messages in response to Lee Hong-gi's courageous confession after fighting his rare disease for a long time, saying, 'It's impressive that he endured for 20 years,' 'The pain that no one knew about,' and 'I really hope he recovers.'
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