Acne

Acne

Jake Anderson, DO, and Heidi James, MD

Background

• 2 main types of lesions
  • Noninflammatory
    • Closed comedones
    • Open comedones
  • Inflammatory lesions
    • Papules
    • Pustules
    • Nodules
• Use types and number of lesions to grade
  • Mild
  • Moderate
  • Severe

Management

• Management is stepwise:
  • Start with topical retinoids and benzoyl peroxide →
  • Topical antibiotics →
  • Oral antibiotics →
  • Oral isotretinoin for severe acne
• Consider oral contraceptives or spironolactone in women
• Requires 6-8 wk of therapy to begin to see improvement