Acne

It has become unnecessary for dermatologists to request monthly lab tests for patients administered standard doses of isotretinoin for the treatment of severe acne.

Researchers reported that treatment with isotretinoin is not only associated with significant clinical improvement in patients with moderate to severe acne, but it also did not cause worsening of depression or suicidal thoughts in any of the patients in the study.

What can the length of a woman's fingers tell us about their susceptibility to acne vulgaris (AV)? Plenty, it turns out, according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Dermatology. The study suggests that a more masculine second-to-fourth digit (2D:4D) ratio may predict sebum levels and, therefore, the potential for developing AV.

When women present clinically with acne, hirsutism, and androgenetic alopecia, the likelihood is that the causative hormone is androgen. Collectively, these symptoms signal cutaneous hyperandrogenism.

This 69-year-old woman requested evaluation of scaling behind her left ear, which has been present for 8 months after she started a new shampoo.

About a quarter of patients with acne did not fill prescriptions, according to a survey published in JAMA Dermatology.

Vitamin B12 has been shown to trigger pimple-promoting chemicals in even normal skin bacteria called Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes).

Onextron (clindamycin phosphate and benzoyl peroxide), 1.2%/3.75%, has been approved for the once-daily treatment of comedonal and inflammatory acne in patients 12 and older.

Updated AAD position statement addresses studies showing possible link between isotretinoin use and depression and/or inflammatory bowel disease.

Philadelphia—An improved understanding of the pathophysiology of acne has brought about changes in acne management, with the recognition that combination therapy with a topical retinoid and oral antibiotic should be initiated as early as possible to simultaneously attack multiple pathogenic factors, James Leyden, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, said at a recent roundtable discussion.