Acne vulgaris
The common type of acne is called acne vulgaris. It is a condition that mainly affects adolescents
but may persist or even become more severe in adulthood. Most, but not all, acne patients have oily skin (seborrhoea).
Clinical features
Acne vulgaris may occur on the face, chest, back and sometimes even more extensively.
Several types of acne spots occur, often at the same time.
Non-inflammatory lesions:
- Open comedones (blackheads)
- Closed comedones (whiteheads)
- Uninflamed nodules (sometimes called cysts)
Inflammatory lesions:
- Papules (small red bumps)
- Pustules (white or yellow ‘squeezable’
spots)
- Inflamed nodules (large red lumps)
Secondary lesions:
- Excoriations
(picked or scratched spots)
- Erythematous macules (red marks from recently healed spots, mostly in fair skin)
- Pigmented macules (dark marks from old spots, mostly in dark skin)
- Scars
Individual acne lesions usually last less than two weeks but the deeper papules and nodules may persist for months.
More images of acne ...
Acne grading
Acne may be considered mild, moderate or severe. Comedones and inflammatory
lesions are usually considered separately.
Many dermatologists assess the severity of a patient's acne more
precisely by using a grading scale, such as the one developed by the Leeds' group. The inflammatory lesions are compared
with a set of standard photographs to determine the grade, which may be 1 (very mild) to 12 (exceptionally severe).
In clinical trials evaluating acne treatment, the numbers of uninflamed and inflamed lesions are carefully counted at regular
intervals. It is remarkably difficult to count consistently.
Treatment
Which treatment is best depends
on the patient's age and sex, the extent and the severity of the acne.
