Epidemiologic study of acne in adults at Institute of Dermatology

Background: Acne is increasingly recognized in adults ; however, few studies have formally evaluated the clinical presentation and factors associated with acne in this population. Methods: This prospective, observational study evaluated the clinical characteristics and lifestyle correlates of acne in adults (> 25 years) at a dermatology visit for acne. Investigators conducted a detailed clinical examination and administered a validated questionnaire the covered medical history, disease evolution, lifestyle habits, previous treatments, and quality of life. Results: A Total of 272 adults affected with acne participated in the study, 237 were female (87.1%) and 35 were male (12.9%), with a mean age of 30.6 years (range 25-52 years). Female patients were slightly older than male patients (30.8 years vs. 29.2 years) but had a shorter duration of acne (9.3 years vs. 10.0 years). A total of 61 women (25.7% of female patients) had experienced pregnancy, which had no effect on acne in 60.7%, worsened acne in 29.5%, and improved acne in 9.8%. Of female respondents, 74.1% had regular menstrual cycles and 25.0% had irregular cycles. Overall, 74.7% reported acne flare-ups before menses, 12.7% reported acne flare-ups during menses, 13.5% reported no effect of menses, and 1.3% reported that acne improved during menses. Truncal involvement was reported in 62.8% of men and 32.0% of women. The majority of subjects with truncal involvement (88.9%) had multiple bodily areas involved, which most commonly were neck/back/chest/shoulders and back/chest/shoulders. Conclusions: This study represents the first objective assessment of the distribution of acne lesions in adults presenting to the dermatology office. The data surprisingly indicate that the acne distribution in almost 90% of cases is similar to that seen in adolescent acne. The adult acne patients seemed to present with the higher rates of hyperandrogenic signs and acne scarring. A higher proportion (30.9%) of adults received oral medications, compared with in adolescent acne. Five adult females who failed to the first-line acne therapies, had received antiandrogen agent (drospirenone) for one-year duration with good response. We recommend that because the adult acne tends to be more severe than acne in adolescents, the treatment approach for adult acne should be more aggressive, with oral medications such as antiandrogens (in adult females) or isotretinoin, in order to prevent the permanent acne scarring.

ปีที่ตีพิมพ์ : 2558 ปีที่ : ฉบับที่ : หน้าที่ : ประเภท: research

วารสาร : ไม่ระบุ

Keyword : 2015