Acne Vulgaris Disease Summary

Overview

Acne vulgaris is chronic inflammatory dermatosis which is notable for open and/or closed comedones (blackheads and whiteheads) and inflammatory lesions including papules, pustules, nodules, and cysts as mentioned in the Introduction section.  

Acne has an overall prevalence of 20.5%, with the highest rates noted in individuals 16 to 24 years of age. The Epidemiology section discusses prevalence of acne regionally.  

Development of acne involves different factors, and the Pathophysiology and Risk Factors section discusses further about these factors.  

Types of acne are based on lesions that occur and sites of distribution. These are enumerated and described in the Classification section. 

History and Physical Examination

The History section mentions that finding out on the information of past treatments can be necessary to elicit in the patient as well as the other contributing factors that are enumerated in this section.

During the Physical Examination one should inspect the lesions seen and site of distribution to classify the type of acne the patient has.

Diagnosis

The Evaluation section enumerates the different scoring methods used in grading acne lesions. Currently, there is no recommended universal grading or classifying system for acne. This section also discusses the severity classification by Lehman.

The Differential Diagnosis section enumerates the different skin diseases that can be considered in diagnosing if comedones are not present. 

Management

The Principles of Therapy section discusses the goals of therapy and phases of pharmacological therapy for acne.

Topical agents like retinoids, Azelaic acid, Benzoyl peroxide, antibiotics, salicylic acid and Clascoterone that are used in the management of ance are discussed in detail in the Pharmacological Therapy section. In this section considerations when choosing topical agent are also enumerated. Oral agents (eg antibiotics, Isotretinoin, corticosteroids), intralesional corticosteroids, and adjunctive therapies are also discussed in this section.  

In the Nonpharmacological section patient education, diet, and skin care recommendations are featured and discussed in detail. Energy-based devices descriptions are also in this section.