Treatment of acne vulgaris

Rebecca Nguyen, John Su

Research output: Contribution to journalReview ArticleResearchpeer-review

25 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Acne vulgaris is a disorder of the pilosebaceous unit, characterized by comedones, inflammatory lesions and scars on the face and trunk. It presents a significant financial burden to the community and its psychosocial impact can be severe, life-altering and even life-threatening. Effective treatment can reduce the burden of disease but poorly considered therapy can be ineffective, costly and may also worsen non-compliance.In the management of acne, it is important to identify triggers, such as drugs, endocrinopathies and topical agents. Comedonal acne can respond well to topical retinoids. Mild to moderately inflammatory acne is usually initially treated with combination topical therapy, sometimes adding an oral antibiotic. Anti-androgen therapy can be helpful in females with seborrhoea and premenstrual flaring of acne. Isotretinoin remains a very effective treatment for potentially scarring and refractory acne, but new possible adverse effects have been recently described. Treatment regimens should accommodate individual patient considerations, duly noting limitations and potential adverse effects of all therapeutic options.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)119-125
Number of pages7
JournalPaediatrics and Child Health
Volume21
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2011

Keywords

  • Acne vulgaris
  • Acneiform eruptions
  • Depression
  • Follicular occlusion
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Isotretinoin
  • Oral contraceptive pill
  • Topical antibiotics
  • Topical retinoids

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